Shattered
by If Dreams Were Wishes
Summary: In "Origins," Aerrow says "Cyclonia destroyed our terras and our families." What exactly did he mean? Join me as I delve into the Storm Hawks' tragic pasts and reveal their untold story. Sequel to "Hide and Seek." Rated T for depictions of violence.
1. Chapter 1: Fall Into Your Sunlight

**Finally, I've begun to write the sequal to "Hide and Seek"! ****I apologize to everyone who has been waiting for this. I hope it lives up to your expectations!**

**I took a break from fanfiction writing this past summer to work on some non-fanfiction related writing, and then I took a creative writing course in my fall semester, so all my writing time was devoted to that. Hopefully, my writing has improved, but I'll leave all of you to be the judge of that. I must say, it's nice to be back and have some time to get this fic up because it has been eatting away at all the free space in my mind the past little while ;)**

**If you haven't read "Hide and Seek," I advise you to before reading this fic because I pretty much just start off where I left off. Thankfully, "Hide and Seek" is not very long. You may even want to re-read "Hide and Seek" if you've read it before because it's been so long since I wrote it, _I_ had to re-read it three times to make sure I didn't forget a detail or mess something up :S**

**This sequal will follow the same formate as its predecessor. The song lyrics show the change in character point of view, and often of time and place. The first half of this fic will take place before the show and the rest will be of scenes during the two sessions of Storm Hawks that connect what happenes in the past to the present day. **

**I am posting as I write, so I don't know how long it will take me to update, but I don't plan on keeping you all waiting too long. I do have this all planned out and I know this will run much longer than "Hide and Seek" (at least 15 chapters, give or take, depending on the lengths each section turns out to be).**

**If you're still reading this authors note, I apologize for its length (they'll be short from here on in). Also, I must warn you that this will be just as sad as the last one...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Storm Hawks, nor the song "Shattered" by Trading Yesterday.**

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Chapter 1: Fall Into Your Sunlight

**Yesterday I died, tomorrow's bleeding **

Finn sat a few feet from Grace's still form, caught between his want to be near her and his fear of ghostly her appearance. He continued to rock, his blanket wrapped snugly around his shoulders. The young boy was sweating in the heat of early summer, but the thought of removing the comforting cloth never occurred to him.

The blanket was the last thing Grace had touched—ripped from his bed as she rushed to hide her little brother. Grace had made it herself. Her nimble fingers had sewn each piece of fabric into a quilt of beautiful patchwork. Grace had given it to Finn for his birthday. They'd sat together on the sofa as she pointed to each cloth and told him the story behind it. One was from their mother's wedding gown, a denim patch had belonged to one of their father's old work overalls, another was cut from Finn's tattered blanket he'd had as a baby, a purple polka doted square from the dress Grace had worn on her brother's first birthday....

If he closed his eyes, Finn's blanket of memories turned into his sister's loving embrace. If he listened hard enough, he could hear her comforting whispers in his ears. And if he continued to move back and forth, he could feel the lulling movement that had so often put him to sleep.

He was back to the day of his parent's funeral. Grace sat in the rocking chair, he on her lap. Her arms held him close as she told him about the wonderful place Mommy and Daddy had gone to and that they would all see each other again one day. Grace had tried to hide her watery eyes, but Finn had felt her sobs shake her chest as she held his teary face against her. He'd wrapped his arms around her torso—too small to reach all the way around—and echoed all she said, both hoping that the repetition would help them to believe the seemingly empty words.

The moon had fled and the sun was well into its chase when Finn finally stood, hunger finally winning out over misery. His legs had fallen asleep long before and he gasped in pain as he put weight on them for the first time in hours. His knees cracked in protest to being straightened and he had to struggle to hold his quilt around his shoulders as his arms shock from exhaustion.

For a few more moments, Finn stood staring at his sister's limp body. She was hauntingly beautiful, even in death. Her hair pooled around her face in a halo of golden waves that shone in the light spilling through the open window. Her once glowing skin was turning pale and chalky, and though she wore a pleasant smile, it seemed out of place to the point of unnerving the young boy. Grace had always had a natural sprinkling of rouge upon her cheeks and lips, but the only crimson now lay in the crusting pool beneath her and along the many cuts that marred her once perfect skin. Of all this, the worse were the bruises. A sob caught in Finn's throat as he gazed upon the deep purple marks, their long fingers surrounding his sister's upper arms and one forever caressing her cheek.

Unable to look any longer, Finn turned from Grace's crumbled figure—his face distorted with innumerous, powerful emotions that his young mind could only half comprehend—and softly padded out the door.

**Fall into your sunlight **

_Don't look back, Piper. Just keep going until you're sure it's safe. And don't __**ever**__ come back, no matter what._

Her father's deep voice rang in her ears long after Piper had lost sight of her terra. If his words had died out sooner, she was sure she would have returned for him. But Papa had said not to go back, so she would do as she was told.

However, her father had not forbid her to cry, so Piper did so guiltlessly. Tears poured down her face as she bit her lower lip to muffle her sobs. She was still unwilling to make any noise, worried that a pursuiter might hear.

As the sky stretched out before her in an endless chasm of blue, Piper's thoughts drifted along with her skimmer. She remembered her friend, his eyes wide and fearful, the blue misted over like a clouded sky. Piper had never seen a dead person before, and for her first to be someone so close to her had been the most frightening thing she had ever experienced in her young life. Was that why Mama couldn't come with them? Was she....

Piper shock her head, refusing to believe this new truth that was flashing before her like a psychedelic, fluorescent sign. No. Mama was fine. Papa just wanted to let her sleep a little longer. He'd probably planned to have Piper go on ahead the entire time. Papa was going to take care of those mean old men and then he would go get Mama and they would come find her.

Piper held onto this hope, grasping the only thing she had left to hold—the crystal hanging from her neck.

The skimmer gave a jolt from beneath her. Looking down at the dials, Piper was surprised at how blurry the flashing warning light appeared. The little girl's eyes darted about, taking in the white haze that now surrounded her. Piper had been so caught up in her thoughts that a thick fog had risen around her without notice.

The flying machine bucked again. Piper held the handles tightly to keep from falling as she leaned over the dashboard to get a better look at the warning light. The skimmer tipped back and forth as it began to descend. She was low on crystal power. Piper was sure there were more crystals in the compartment behind her, or at least a parachute, but she was too scared to loosen her death-grip to turn around and check.

Then, she fell away from the low-lying clouds and saw a small terra getting closer with every frantic heartbeat. Piper could do nothing but hold on as the skimmer brushed the top branches of the terra's lone tree and she hurtled towards the grass below.

Letting out an ear-piercing shriek, Piper lifted her arms to shield her face mere seconds before impact. She felt a brief, weightless sensation before she lost all her senses completely.

**The future's open wide beyond believing  
**

Wiping sweat from his brow, Aerrow turned from his work at the sound of a friendly chirp. Radarr stood behind him, a hollowed rock held up to his companion. Seeing the water splashing from the makeshift bowl, Aerrow took it gratefully.

"Thanks Radarr!" the boy said before gulping the cool liquid down greedily.

Finishing his drink, Aerrow sat under the shade of the large willow and lay the bowl on a large root. Radarr plopped down beside him, just as happy to get out of the sun.

"I think we're doing pretty good," Aerrow commented as he lazily gazed towards the wall they were building.

The two friends had been on the terra for little over a week. They'd started building their fort almost immediately after Aerrow suggested it. At first, they had worked together to roll large rocks up the hill from the cave and outcropping. After to day of struggling that resulted in only three mini boulders making it to the top, the pair decided they needed a new method. The system they had now seemed to work fairly well. Aerrow spent his day lugging smaller rocks up to the tree's perch, while Radarr made muddy mortar using water from their secret pool to fill the gapes between the rocks.

Aerrow and Radarr now had a substantial section of wall built, of which they were both quite proud.

Having not heard his friend's usual chirp of agreement after his comment, Aerrow turned to see Radarr snoring softly from the grass beside him. Deciding the little blue creature had the right idea, Aerrow lay back to take a well-deserved nap.

Aerrow felt like he'd only just fallen asleep when he was awake once more. A light breeze wound its way through the willow's droopy branches and a few leaf tips brushed across Aerrow's nose. Rising a hand to sleepily swat away the tickling foliage, Aerrow turned to his side to avoid being disturbed again.

An annoying buzz reached the boy's ear and he waved his hand over his head to frighten away the hovering fly. However, this was of little use. In fact, the buzzing just got louder and louder. Drowsy mind unable to work properly, Aerrow sat up and rubbed his eyes. Radarr stirred beside him, raising his furry head as he blinked sleep away.

Boy and creature were both jolted into alertness at a sudden rumble and the sound of fast-moving air. Running out from under the curtain of leaves, Aerrow and Radarr caught sight of a falling skimmer just before it crashed near the bottom of the hill, as high-pitched scream accompanying its descent. A small body flew off the machine and rolled in the opposite direction in which the skimmer skid across the ground.

Aerrow and Radarr were almost halfway down the hill when the limp body stopped, resting lifelessly on the grass. The boy was the first to reach the petit form, his legs much longer than his friend's. Grabbing them by the shoulders, Aerrow carefully turned the child over. She was a pretty little girl, her skin and hair recognizably dark, even with the layer of dirt and dust that covered every inch of her. Her cloths were torn and tattered—much like Aerrow and Radarr's. Blood trickled from new cuts and bruises forming on her cheeks and arms. Giving the girl a quick lookover, Aerrow sighed in relief when this seemed to be an extent of her injuries, for nothing seemed to be out of place.

Hearing Radarr's tentative chirp, Aerrow looked up to meet his worried eyes and knew they were thinking the same thing: _What do we do?_

_

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**And there you have it, chapter #1! I hope it will keep you all satisfied until my next post.**

**Oh, and if you haven't heard the song "Shattered" by Trading Yesterday, you should!**

**If you have any comments, corrections or constructive criticism, feel free to review!**


	2. Chapter 2: Hope Dies

**A big Thank You to my three reviewers: WhispertheWolf, pulvia somnuim, and Midnight-Rose-Dew!**

**WhispertheWolf: **You are getting ahead of me! But don't lose too much pity for Aerrow and Radarr. Having read "A Winter's Night," you should know that Aerrow's amnesia does not last forever, and he will have his own tramas coming soon. As for Radarr, are you sure he doesn't remember anything? You'll have to wait until around chapter 7 when I start writing from Radarr, Junko and Storks POVs to find out!

**PLEASE NOTE: I should have mentioned this in my first author's note, but I am writing about the aftermath of a war, so there may be some discriptions that seem somewhat gruesome and situations that may seem cruel. I am not doing this for the fun of it (it was actually really hard for me to write the description in Finn's part of this chapter), but if I think a certain detail must be mentioned to give my readers the true sense of what these characters are going through, I will put it in. This fic if rated "T", after all.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Storm Hawks, nor the song "Shattered" by Trading Yesterday.**

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Chapter 2: Hope Dies

**To know why hope dies  
**

Time no longer meant anything to Finn. Minutes dragged into hours, dragged into days. He had been curious about the world that lay beyond the confines of his home, but a quick glance at the carnage just outside his front door had sapped every ounce of hope he had of there being any other survivors or help on the terra. Debris littered the street. Shopping stalls, merchandise, and even parts of houses were scattered all about, while pieces of paper and cloth blew about in the wind. The whole scene gave of a depressing sense of neglect.

Finn's eyes had followed a bright orange leaflet as a light breeze glided it across the dirt. The crumbled paper had hovered for a few moments before drifting down to rest next to a shoe. Finn had taken a step back. There was a foot in the shoe, attached to a leg that stopped abruptly at the shin. The bone—pearly and jagged—could just be seen under the blood and skin that curled and flaked in the summer heat.

Slamming the door, Finn had run to the kitchen, where he'd emptied the entire contents of his stomach into the sink. It took days for the image—seemingly seared into his brain—to lose its clarity and eventually fade. Finn didn't look outside after that. He didn't even go into the front room, only venturing from the upper floors to grab a bite of food to quell his hunger pains.

Finn spent most of his time in Grace's doorway. Not having entered the room since that first day, the boy would open the door wide and sit in the hall. He'd make various trips to his room throughout the day to get puzzles to build, toys to play with, or books to read. He never said a word or made a sound, keeping a silent vigil until he could see the moon through Grace's open window. Then, whispering good night, Finn would close the door and head to his own room, where he wrapped himself in his blanket to wait from the nightmares that continually plagued his sleep.

Finn refused to acknowledge the grotesque scene inside Grace's room. Instead, he'd keep his back turned to the open door and imagine that his sister was just napping on the floor, in her usual visage of perfection. It was many days after his quick look outside that Finn finally gazed upon his sister's body once more. Grace's skin had turned a greenish-grey and her face had begun to sink in on itself. She was skinny and boney and broken, and it was in that moment Finn realized he was not watching over his sister, but a nameless corpse that hardly shared any resemblance to the young woman who had become like a mother to him.

That evening, Finn closed Grace's door for the final time, vowing never to look inside the room again.

**Losing what was found, a world so hollow  
**

Piper moaned, the pounding in her head prohibiting her from opening her eyes. Everything ached, the numbing pain begging her to let go of her consciousness once more. However, Piper had always been a stubborn child. She fought against the darkness surrounding her, determined to move her unresponsive muscles.

Something cold was placed on Piper's forehead and she felt liquid drip down the sides of her face. The girl sighed at the comforting sensation of the coolness against her burning skin. Opening her eyes, Piper blinked until her vision cleared.

She lay on her back, looking up at a curved, rock ceiling. The sun's rays shone through an opening above, illuminating what should have been an enveloping darkness. The light sparkled off the pool that was a few paces from where Piper lay. Bushes grew around its periphery, soaking up nutrients from the clear water to feed their deep blue and purple berries.

Piper was surprised to find the floor beneath her was not at uncomfortable as she suspected stone to be. Allowing her head to fall to its side, she discovered that she was on a makeshift bed of stringy branches and velvety leaves. Piper could feel the cloth on her forehead slipping from her head's new position. The girl whimpered as wet fabric fell to the ground and the heat returned to sear the newly exposed skin.

"Whoops," came a raspy voice from Piper's other side.

She sensed the person stand and walk around her. A hand—much smaller than she'd expected—lowered into her line of vision and picked up the cloth. She felt a palm on each of her cheeks and relished in their coolness against her skin. The hands were calloused, but there was a meek gentleness in the way they carefully turned her to face the ceiling once more—as if the person was scared of breaking her.

The boy that hovered over her looked worse for wear. He appeared completely red at first glance, with burnt skin, cracked lips and bloodshot eyes, all topped with wild turf of fiery hair.

He wore no shirt, just a pair of severely torn pants. In another situation, Piper may have been embarrassed at the boy's state of undress, but at this moment, she was far too tired and confused to care. Despite his condition, the boy gazed down on her with a large, almost foolish grin, his bright green eyes a mixture of relief and happiness.

"It's good to see you awake," the redhead commented, laying a hand on her forehead, "And I think your fever's going down. I've got to admit, you had us worried for a while there."

Taking the cloth from his lap, the boy went over the pool. Shaking out the holey fabric, he pulled it through the water to re-dampen it. As the boy rung out and folded the garment, Piper saw that it was the boy's missing shirt. Coming back to sit beside her again, the redhead gently wiped her face with the cool fabric.

"Radarr, could you bring some water?" the boy called, catching Piper grimace at the loud noise, he's expression turned apologetic, "Sorry."

Piper didn't know who she expected "Radarr" to be, but it was definitely not the creature that strode towards her. It was blue and furry, with a long neck and tail. After she got over the fact that this little creature was wearing cloths and stood on two legs like a human she decided that it was kind of cute. Piper had read about other races of beings that were similar to her own, except with scales or fur, but Radarr seemed much more similar to someone's pet dog than a being of higher intelligence.

Giving a cautious chirp, Radarr held out the stone bowl of water that rested on his long, purple fingers. Realizing she was not strong enough to sit up on her own, the boy put one hand behind Piper's back and his other moved to support the back of her head. Slowly, he lifted the girl's aching body until she was sitting upright and leaning against the cave wall. The boy kept a steady hold on Piper—seemingly not trusting her to hold herself up—while Radarr brought the bowl of water to her lips.

Piper didn't realize how thirsty she was until the cool liquid began to roll down her throat. She gulped the refreshing water greedily, moaning in protest when Radarr pulled the half-empty bowl away.

"Not so fast," the boy warned, "you'll make yourself sick."

Piper complied, taking only small sips until the bowl was empty. When she finished, the boy lay her back down on the bed of leaves. He wiped her face once more with his damp shirt before placing it against her forehead.

"Who—?" Piper chocked on her words as her dry throat began to protest in a fit of coughs.

Radarr ran to refill the bowl. The redhead lifted her head up slightly and brought the water to Piper's lips when the odd creature handed it to him.

"My name's Aerrow," the boy answered in a voice raspy from its own lack of water, "and that's Radarr."

Radarr smiled, raising a hand in a friendly wave when Aerrow mentioned him.

"I—Pi...per." Piper croaked her own name, feeling she owed her rescuers that much, at least.

"Well, Piper, you should get some sleep." Aerrow said, smiling, "We can talk more later, when your voice is better."

Piper didn't need to be told twice. She was asleep with moments.

Piper did a lot of sleeping during the next few days. Once she was able to walk about on her own aching legs, Aerrow and Radarr brought her to the cave entrance to show her the project they had been working on while she slept.

The duo were repairing Piper's skimmer. Aerrow told her that Radarr was doing most of the work. Piper had been informed that Radarr was a sky monkey, which—according to Aerrow—were one of the smartest creatures in the Atmos. Piper would never argue this fact after seeing Radarr work on the skimmer. It was not lose of power, she was told, but an overheated engine that had caused her machine to malfunction. Piper's ailments had been very similar. Though she had suffered many scratches and bruises from her crash, it was heatstroke that had plagued her with a high fever.

After a few days of rest and hydration, Piper was feeling much better. One morning, she awoke to an empty cave. Getting up from her leafy bed—it had been Aerrow's before she'd arrived, but the boy had made himself another—and followed the sunlight to the rocky mouth. Piper except to see boy and beast working on the skimmer, but was surprised to find it abandoned. Raising a hand to block the blinding sun, she spotted her new friends on top of the terra's large hill, under the lone tree's canopy.

Piper recalled Aerrow telling her about the fort he and Radarr were building. The boy's mind was filled with plans and schemes, his shining spirit yearning for adventure. Piper found him to be quite captivating and enjoyed listening to his seemingly endless supply ideas—a welcome distraction from the nightmares and devastating thoughts that hovered over her like a rain cloud ready to burst.

Aerrow turned from his work and spotted Piper standing by the skimmer. Waving wildly, his lips spread in their usual foolish grin, the redhead ran down the hill to meet her. Not watching his footing, the boy soon tripped and began to roll uncontrollably over the grassy slope.

"Aerrow!" Piper cried as the boy landed at the bottom with a loud thud.

As she made her way over the lose rocks that separated her from the pile of limbs that was her new friend, tears welled in Piper's eyes. Her only thought was that she had once again lost someone she cared for.

**Suspended in a compromise  
**

Spitting out a mouthful of grass, Aerrow laughed as he sat up and brushed himself off. Seeing Piper running towards him, Aerrow flashed her his trademark smirk.

"That was fun!" the redhead called, referring to his tumble, "You should try it sometime, Piper!"

The girl stopped dead at Aerrow's words, just a few feet from where he sat. The boy's face fell upon seeing Piper's glistening eyes.

"Piper?" he asked, worried.

Ignoring the aches that were slowly making themselves known, Aerrow hurried to his feet. Cautiously, he stepped towards Piper, who was taking deep, steady breaths in an attempt to quell her rising sobs.

"Piper?" Aerrow tentatively repeated, laying a hand on her shoulder.

_CRACK!_

Aerrow staggered backwards, palm on his reddening cheek. It took the shocked boy a few seconds to realize it was Piper's hand that had flown into his face so suddenly. Said girl stood rigid before him, her fisted hands trembled by her sides. Piper's features were no longer contorted in sadness, but rage.

"You..._IDIOT!_" she screamed, "How can you...you _LAUGH_. I thought you were _DEAD!_"

Angry tears spilled from the girl's eyes. Abruptly, she turned and headed back the way she came. Aerrow stood stunned by the sudden outburst that had come from the usually silent girl. As he watched her retreating form, guilt twisted knots in Aerrow's stomach. As Piper disappeared into the cave, he made the decision to follow.

Aerrow found his new friend curled up on her bed, sobbing loudly. Crouching down beside Piper, he tilted his head to meet her eyes. The girl just turned over so her back was to him.

Aerrow sighed, "Piper, I'm sorry I made you cry... but I don't know why you're so sad... I mean, I only fell. Look, I'm not hurt at all."

Without warning, Piper turned and flung herself at Aerrow. Arms shooting out behind him to keep his balance, Aerrow looked down at the distraught girl with wide eyes. Piper was crying uncontrollably into his chest, her hands clutching fistfuls of his torn shirt. Not sure what to do, Aerrow rubbed cautious circles on his friend's back.

"Sorry," Piper apologized once her sobs had subsided into the occasional hiccup, "I was just so frightened."

"Frightened?" Aerrow was still confused.

"I thought I'd lost you, like everyone else" Piper elaborated, "Like my friends, and Mama, and Papa..."

Wrapping her arms around Aerrow's neck, Piper buried her face in his shoulder as her tears returned. The boy returned the embrace, hoping to give the girl some comfort. Piper had hardly said a word since she'd fallen—literally—into his life, seemingly happy in their quiet companionship. Now, Aerrow realized that she was really only bottling up all her problems and worries.

"Piper, I'll never leave you, promise," Aerrow said in an effort to quell her tears.

The girl in his arms turned to look at him questioningly, "How can you promise that?"

Aerrow paused for a second, features scrunched in concentration. After a few moments, a smile spread its way across his face.

"Well then, I promise to always look after you and protect you," Aerrow stated, "And to do that, I've got to stick around, right?"

Sitting back, Piper rubbed her eyes, "Okay," she agreed, grinning at her friend's odd logic, "And I promise the same thing. It's only fair."

"Lets shake on it," Aerrow said, holding out a hand to Piper.

Piper giggled as Aerrow took the hand she outstretched and gave it two, deliberate shakes. The pair sat grinning at each other until they heard Radarr's worried chirps coming from the cave entrance.

"Coming Radarr!" Aerrow called, as he and Piper got up and ran towards Radarr's squawks, their hands still tightly clasped.

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**Well, I think Finn wins the award for most depressing part in this chapter :S I feel kind of horrible saying it is my favorite storyline in this fic, but it is...**

**Oh, and don't expect this to get much happier anytime soon... though I'm not planning on having all doom and gloom for the entire fic (though I'm sure Stork won't mind ;D)**

**In case anyone was wondering, Aerrow, Finn and Piper are supposed to be around 8-10 years old. They all came out seeming younger in "Hide and Seek," but they all seem to be a bit older in this fic. I've never been very good at writing characters to their appropriate age, sorry.**

**Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter, and as always, feel free to review!**


	3. Chapter 3: The Silence

**Hello everyone!**

**Sorry for the delay in updates, but my classes started and I've got a massive course load this term. I'll try to my best to update bi-weekly, but it could be shorter or longer, depending on the time I have to write.**

**After the tragedy in Haiti, I've found it hard not to find comparisons in this fanfic, but I want you all to know that this is totally by accident (in fact, Finn's part of this chapter was finished before the earthquake in Haiti). Also, I hope all my readers realize that the point of this story is not the characters suffering, but the fact that they made the best of a bad situation and grew up to be the Storm Hawks we know and love. If you take anything away from this, I hope it is that there is always hope, even in the worst circumstances.**

**And of course, big thank yous to my reviewers: Midnight-Rose-Dew, pluvia somnium and Abysilityy! This chapter goes out to you!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Storm Hawks, nor the song "Shattered" by Trading Yesterday.**

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Chapter 3: The Silence

**The silence of this sound is soon to follow  
**

All was quiet, the void of silence broken only by Finn's shuffling steps and the sweeping of his blanket dragging behind him. These usually insignificant sounds, nothing more than the pattered steps of a rodent, now pounded in Finn's ears like a herd of rampaging beasts. Hearing becoming acute as every lonely day passed, the young boy would jump when a slight breeze rustled a piece of paper. Dropping a plate on the floor boomed like an erupting bomb.

Finn learned to muffle the sounds of his movements, so not to intensify his constant headache. However, the silence was no better. Lying awake at night, Finn could still hear the screams of pain and unanswered cries for help echoing inside his head. Covering his ears and closing his eyes, Finn would mumble to himself to keep the memories at bay, but it was much harder to block what was inside than what was out.

Finn's food supply was rapidly depleting. Most of it had begun to go mouldy and rot within a few days, the blistering heat of summer accelerating the process. The boy had found himself left with only canned and preserved food, much of which was meant to be cooked before consumption. With no other options, Finn forced down small bites that turned his stomach and made chewing and swallowing a tantalizing effort.

The boy's nausea was also contributed to the stench that had rolled in like thick fog. Finn had closed the windows—opting for breathable oxygen over the cooling breeze—but the still air in the house soon staled, and the reek began to seep from the closed doors of Grace's room and the kitchen cupboards.

Finn had started to wear a bandana around his face—the one he used when he played cowboy—but it made the air he breathed stuffy and uncomfortable. He knew he couldn't stay in his house forever. The little food he had was being wasted, for he often vomited soon after eating, thanks to the malodour that enveloped him. He was sick and starving, and Finn knew that if he wanted to survive, he had to leave.

The boy's decision was sealed not two weeks after the initial invasion. He was woken from an afternoon nap—sleeping was the only thing he could really do now—when a distant rumbling shattered the suffocating silence. Finn jumped up excitedly, standing on his bed to look out the window properly. He spied two skimmers to accompany the thundering sound of engines. They looped overhead before lining up to land on the main street.

Finn was ecstatic. _Finally_, someone had come to save him! But his excitement was short-lived as he immediately recognized the bug-like helmets and dark coloured uniforms of the men who had brought the death and destruction in which he now lived.

Grabbing his blanket, Finn rushed down to the kitchen. Folding his quilt into a makeshift sack, the boy filled it with the last few cans of food he had, along with his dad's old pocketknife, which he'd been using to open them. Seeing the family picture that lay on the floor—its frame and glass pane miraculously still intake—Finn placed it atop his provisions and tied the corners of his blanket together with a scrap of fabric from a torn curtain.

After clearing away the few pieces a furniture still piled in front of the back door, Finn gave his home one final glance before slipping out into the backstreet behind his house.

**Somehow, sundown  
**

The setting sun painted the clouds every shade of red and orange as the three companions sat leaning against their willow tree. The large trunk was a sturdy comfort in their newly shaken lives and the children relished in the safety it gave them.

Piper allowed her gaze to rove all around, her golden eyes absorbing every last detail. The scene was quite picturesque, with the sky's vibrant colours highlighting the blanket of flowers that covered the slope below and shadows being extended to near indistinction. It was a pretty terra, so detached from the one she'd come from.

Piper knew she would never see her parents again. The initial shock had rattled her brain, but she was a smart and realistic child. She knew the possibility of her father escaping their terra alive was almost nonexistent—the look in his eyes as he turned towards their approaching attackers had told her that much—and upon recalling that same expression on her father's features as he closed the bedroom door on her mother's limp form, Piper was now certain that her mother had not been sleeping.

The young girl grasped the crystal that hung around her neck. Rubbing a thumb along its smooth edges, Piper blinked back tears. She'd cried enough today. Aerrow gave her a questioning nudge with his shoulder. Piper turned to smile at her friend reassuringly, allowing her hand to drop from her necklace to pet Radarr, who lay curled up between the pair.

They had been sitting there since early afternoon, when they'd paused from their work on the fort for a lunch break. Piper couldn't remember what had started her rambling, but she had ended up telling Aerrow and Radarr everything. Her entire life's story had spilled from her lips—kept so cautiously closed for the past few weeks—the dam finally overflowing. Piper had taken out the photo kept protectively over her heart and showed them her family. Tears of joy and sorrow had mingled together as she recalled her parents and friends, and their eventual demise.

Aerrow had taken her hand and pleaded with her not to give up hope, saying there was still a chance that her father had gotten away and was out looking for her that every minute. Piper had smiled sadly at her optimistic friend, but while Aerrow delved into fantasies, she saw the truth. There was no returning to her old life, nor those whom she'd lost.

Aerrow, in turn, had admitted he had no memories of his family, not even names or faces. He couldn't even recall how he'd come to be on the terra on which they now lived.

As they sat in the silence that followed, Piper first envied Aerrow for his amnesia. How wonderful would be to just forget all that had happened! But when Aerrow hadn't noticed her gaze, she'd caught a glimpse of the turmoil usually hidden under his bright eyes and felt horribly guilty for her misguided jealousy.

"_Remember everyone, Piper. Remember where you came from and who you are."_

Her father's words of departure rung in Piper's ears. Yes, it was far better knowing. With this thought, Piper was filled with sympathy for the boy who sat beside her. How lost he must feel, not knowing his past or true identity.

"I never thanked you." Piper broke the silence.

"For what?" Aerrow asked, turning to meet her gaze.

"For looking after me when I was sick," Piper answered, "And making me feel better."

"Anyone would have done it." Aerrow tried to appear nonchalant about the acknowledgement, but his growing smile gave away his appreciation.

Silence enwrapped them once more, but neither child felt it awkward enough to break. As the stars danced into the every approaching darkness, Aerrow yawned and mumbled something about going to bed as he stretched his tired muscles. Piper rose as well, while Aerrow bent to gather the sleeping sky monkey in his arms. Nothing more was said as they made their way down the hill, both lost in their own thoughts as they meandered through the familiar trail of tipsy rocks up to their cave.

Aerrow was a few strides into the cave when he noticed Piper had stopped at the mouth, her eyes staring unseeing into the depths. Piper saw him stop and wait, but she gave him no acknowledgement. After a few moments, the boy turned and disappeared into the darkness.

Piper had been paralysed by the sudden realization that this was now her home. She had accepted the facts that her old life was gone and she would never return to her home terra—even if she found the means to, her father had forbid her, and she had no intentions on disobeying him—but all this had only just truly hit her. The shockwave of emotion stilled her, and she found herself lost in ever-circling thoughts and memories that passed by her conscious too quickly to grab a solid hold on any one thing.

_She squealed happily as sturdy hands picked her up and spun her around. As blurred images began to focus, she spied her father's smiling face before he lifted her onto his broad shoulders._

_She ran homeward through the trees with the other young children of her village. Each had a woven basket overflowing with freshly picked berries that spilled onto the forest floor as they raced to be the first one home._

_She was sitting at the kitchen table with her mother. The woman laughed as her daughter stuck out her tongue in concentration as she attempted to string a brightly coloured bead on a slowly forming necklace._

_She shock in her father's strong embrace. Even from their perch high in the treetops, the smoke rising from their village filled her throat and stung her eyes._

_She screamed as the glassy eyes of her friend stared at her, unseeing._

_She awoke to Aerrow's relieved emerald eyes staring down at her._

_She turned to see Radarr holding a bowl of water up to her._

_Papa!_

"You okay?" Piper jumped, not expecting Aerrow's voice to come from directly beside her. The boy was squinting into the darkness, as if it would allow him to see what she saw in the nothingness.

"Yeah," Piper sighed, "I was just thinking."

"About what?"Aerrow inquired.

"You're very nosey, Aerrow." Piper complained, brows furrowing as she turned to her friend and crossed her arms.

Shrugging, Aerrow moved back into the cave, it was too late for an argument. Watching his hunched form retreat, Piper felt guilty for deflecting his question so harshly. She knew he was only trying to help.

"I was just thinking about this being my new home." Piper said loud enough for Aerrow to hear and he ceased his retreat.

"Not new, just temporary." Aerrow called over his shoulder, and Piper smiled at his continually positive nature.

Aerrow took a few more steps, then stopped and turned abruptly, his green eyes shining, "And we're a temporary family now," he added, "Until we find our real ones."

_Family._ Piper liked the sound of that.

**  
And finding answers  
**

Aerrow lay awake, watching the moon's reflection swim across the pool. Its halo illuminated the water, making it glow magically. He could hear the steady breaths of Radarr and Piper as they slept beside him—the only sounds to break the deathly quite of the nearly uninhabited terra.

Fatigue weighed down on Aerrow's limbs and eyelids, but sleep would not come. He couldn't get the photo of Piper's family out of his head. To see their smiling faces and hear what had happened to them, to _Piper_. Aerrow felt like a hand had wrapped around his heart and was slowing crushing it in its fist. Upon seeing the hurt and pain glistening in Piper's eyes, he'd felt the hope and cheer that seemed to define him slip away. It was becoming increasingly difficult to offer words of comfort and encouragement. But Aerrow knew he had to stay strong, because he could. He had no one to miss, no one to mourn.

That was what bothered Aerrow the most. Piper's story had brought to the forefront of his mind what he had worked so hard to ignore. He had no memories from before the moment he awoke sore and tired on the rocky outcropping. Aerrow could remember his name, his birth date and innumerous impersonal facts, but he had no idea of who his family was, where he came, or what he'd experienced in his life. He wished he had a picture like Piper, to fill in the blanks, maybe spark a memory. Aerrow had tried asking Radarr if he remembered anything, but if the sky monkey did, he was reluctant to share, and Radarr's vocalization problems made it difficult for him to express anything he did want to tell.

Aerrow looked down at the blue ball of fur that shared his leafy bed. He wished he could remember more than the sky monkey's name and that they were best friends. Aerrow had a feeling that Radarr had done a lot for him in their past life, and the sky monkey only support this assumption with his continual acts of kindness and generosity. Radarr worked tirelessly on the broken skimmer, and Aerrow hadn't failed to notice that Radarr always brought them food and water before attending to his own needs.

Aerrow jolted to attention upon hearing a fit of coughs coming from where Piper lay. Aerrow hastened to the girl, giving her a drink from the bowl of water he kept by her bed. Not even waking fully, Piper turned over and fell back into a deep sleep.

Aerrow sighed. He'd been secretly keeping an eye on Piper, worried the stubborn girl would work herself too hard and her illness relapse. Aerrow had tried to convince Piper to rest on particularly hot days, but it was fruitless to argue with the spirited girl.

Not that Aerrow minded the company. After the pair had made their promise to care and protect each other, she'd opened up considerably. The girl who had first seemed so quiet and shy turned out to be a real chatterbox. Their conversations filled in the empty spaces that had occurred when it was only himself and Radarr. Aerrow had to admit, it was nice to have someone to talk to.

Looking down at the feeling of Radarr nuzzling his hand, Aerrow answered his friend's questioning gaze with a reassuring smile. Laying down beside Radarr, Aerrow stroked the sky monkey's back as he waited, once again, for sleep to take him.

**Is forgetting all of the questions we call home  
**

Finn closed the back door with a small _thud_. Clutching his blanket of provisions tightly to his chest, Finn took a few steadying breaths. His back to the outer wall of his house, the boy slunk like a robber in the night to the corner of the building. Finn poked his head out to get a view of the main street, up the side ally, but quickly withdrew when he spotted the shadows of the intruders approaching.

"This place reeks!" one complained.

The other grunted in agreement. "Lets get this over with and get out of here before we catch out deaths."

"So, we've just got to torch the place, right?" the first man inquired.

"Yeah, and watch for anyone we might scare out," his companion answered.

The Talon snorted, "Yeah, like there'd be any left. If someone made it through this, they left long ago..."

The two men roamed out of Finn's range as they made their way down the street. Finn knew he had to get out of there _now_, but he couldn't move. Heart beating rapidly in his chest, the boy found himself frozen to the spot. Having left in such a hurry, it was only now that Finn stopped to think about what he was doing.

Where was he going to go? The forest was his only real option, but would he be any better off there then he was in his rotting town? Finn had never been outside the town's boundaries, except for the few picnics he could vaguely remember taking with his family to the grassy field only a short walk away. He knew he'd have to go to the forest for food and shelter, and the prospect unnerved him. Finn had always been weary of the tall, menacing trees.

But did he really have the luxury of not going into the woods? The open fields were out of the question, with their lack of hiding places. He couldn't stay here either, not if he didn't want to be found. And as Finn looked around at he crumbling buildings and smelled the now familiar stench, he realized that this was no longer his home. Just like the decaying body in the upstairs room was no longer his sister. He had nothing left to tie him to this place, and every reason to leave.

And so, Finn began to make his way to the town's perimeter, leaving the sounds of smashing wood and zapping crystals behind him.

**Passing the graves of the unknown  
**

Finn had only moved a few houses down when he saw them. It was the young man and little girl he'd seen the day of the invasion. The young man lay sprawled on the ground, his hand still gripping the metal rod he'd used as a weapon. The gaping hole in his chest was discoloured and oozing. The little girl lay beside him, having fallen to lay on his outstretched arm. The girl's flowing hair covered her face, but it failed to hide the large, reddish-black blotch on the back of her head.

Finn swallowed the vomit that rose in his throat—he couldn't risk the Talons hearing his reeks. Holding his breath to fight off the overwhelming smell, Finn fled.

Hadn't Grace said they'd be alright? Of course, she'd said a lot of things... Finn knew he shouldn't be shocked by now, but something inside him still wanted to believe that good things could happen. He was still desperately trying to hold onto the hope that someone else had survived, but this seemed to be turning into fantasy with every step he took.

Finn fell face-first into the dirt. Turning back to look what had tripped him, Finn saw his feet tangled in limp legs. Face pale, he scrambled up, grabbing his dropped package. Keeping his head down, Finn kept going. Reaching the tree line, he lifted his eyes upon hearing the roar of flames behind him.

The first row of houses were already ablaze, the dry wood catching fire easily under the high sun. The two Talons walked down the street shooting their crystal staffs at the houses as they passed. Each orb of energy collided with a burst of splinters and flame, dust and smoke rising all around. The fire spread quickly, licking the air above the roofs and jumping from one home to the next. The breeze blew the smoke towards the boy, making his eyes water and his throat tickle. Forcing himself to rip his eyes from the scene, Finn raced to find a safe place away from the destruction.

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**And there you have it, Chapter 3. I hope it's enough to keep you guys going for a little while!**

**Please feel free to review!**


	4. Chapter 4: Illusions of the Sunlight

**I'm back! Sorry for not updating for almost a month, but school comes first! I'm on midterm break now, so I was able to put some time into writing.**

**Thank you Abysilityy, pluvia somnium, The Rose of the Rush, Midnight-Rose-Dew, and WhispertheWolf for your reviews! It's nice to have so many reviews! Its too bad that this story is has the lowest hits of all my stories (including my one-shots), because I feel this is some of my best writing :( Oh well, as long as I have awesome people like you guys reviewing and reading, I'm not that bothered. If there's someone to read, I'll continue to write!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Storm Hawks, nor the song "Shattered" by Trading Yesterday.  
**

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Chapter 4: Illusions of the Sunlight

**  
As reason clouds my eyes, with splendour fading **

"To us!" Aerrow laughed as he rose his makeshift cup above his head.

"To us!" Piper echoed as Radarr gave an excited squawk, all lifting hollowed rocks filled with berry juice to clank against each other.

The trio was celebrating the completion of their fort. Three walls surrounded them, their height determined by how high Radarr could reach from the others' shoulders. The friends had taken care to make their rocky abode sturdy and strong, and so far, it was holding up well. They'd left a small space were one wall meet the tree truck—the fourth wall of their fortress—to act as a door. The draping branches served as the roof, the leaves rustling joyfully overhead, joining the festivities of the children below.

To mark the momentous occasion, they'd decided to spend the night in their fort, lugging their leafy beds up to hill and placing them on one side of the fairly spacious room they'd created. Piper had surprised the other two with juice made of freshly mushed berries and cool pool water.

Aerrow smiled broadly at his two companions. The move out had lifted all their spirits. There was something about the fresh air that warmed their insides; a feeling the damp, cool cave was unable to create. Of course, the new accommodations were only temporary—for now. Until they could find an efficient way to store large amounts of water and berries—their rock bowls and cups were far too small—it was much more convenient and energy officiant to live in the cave.

Still, they couldn't live in the cave forever. This fact was becoming more apparent to Aerrow with each passing day. The height of summer had passed, and the nights were becoming increasingly chillier. Piper had made a fire to warm them a few nights before, using a crystal from her skimmer to make a spark. But there was no wood on the terra beside the tree and berry bushes, which were mostly leaves and created too much smoke when lit. The trio had learned this the hard way, having been forced to spend the night under the stars as they waited for the chocking black fumes to dissipate.

Aerrow knew they needed real wood, and cloths without holes, before the progressively colder weather froze them to death. They needed real food too. The berries never truly filled them, and even Aerrow understood that multiple varieties of food were necessary for their bodies—human or sky monkey—to function properly. He also knew that Piper could barely stomach a handful of berries. He'd attributed her vomiting to her sun stroke at first, but he soon noticed Piper ate only a few berries at a time and always had a green tint to her skin afterward.

Although Piper smiled happily across from him, Aerrow could see the dullness in her eyes. Her face was becoming gaunt, the little fat her body had stored was quickly depleting. They were all becoming sickeningly thin, and even Aerrow was finding that he had less energy.

Aerrow's life was becoming less of an adventure and more a struggle for survival. He could hardly remember the elation he'd felt the day he'd climbed the willow and proclaimed the terra his new home. His carefree thoughts had morphed into ones of worry. They had to get off the terra and find provisions—and soon—or they would all die.

"Hey Aerrow, you okay?" Piper asked, spotting the hard, thoughtful look on her friend's face.

Aerrow replaced his grin before Piper could blink, "I'm fine, just daydreaming!"

Piper and Radarr shared a glance, unconvinced.

"Hey, we're supposed to be celebrating, right?" Aerrow attempted to change the subject, "Let's have a contest. Whoever downs their juice first, wins! Ready..."

The boy's tactics had worked for now. All three flung their heads back as they gulped down the last of their drinks. Radarr was the first to let out a shout of victory, and the other two laughed at the sticky juice that dyed the fur around the sky monkey's lips.

Aerrow decided to ask Radarr how close he was to completing the repairs on the skimmer once Piper had fallen asleep. He hoped to sneak off one night to search for nearby terras. Piper would be mad, but it was the only way he was going to get her to stay behind. Aerrow feared the girl was far too frail for such a trip.

**Illusions of the sunlight**

"Aerrow!" Piper saw the boy cringe as his grip on the skimmer's handlebars tightened.

He kept his back to her, but Radarr's head soon popped up from the seat in front of him. Spotting the fuming girl striding towards them—the rising sun behind adding to her fiery appearance—he quickly disappeared from sight once more.

"What are you doing?" Piper's question sounded more like a threat.

"Just making sure the wheels work," Aerrow answered, his smile a little too broad, "and look, they do!"

Piper glared at the boy as he chuckled awkwardly, not believing a word. Aerrow's cheerful guise disappeared as his features stiffened and gaze hardened, alerting Piper that he was ready for a fight.

"You're _**not**_ leaving without me." Piper declared, stomping a foot in childish emphasis.

Aerrow dismounted as he continued to glare back at her. Giving a growl, Piper took a step towards the skimmer, but Aerrow moved to stand in her way, arms crossed. Piper tried to push past the human barrier, but Aerrow easily held her back.

Piper screamed in frustration. She wasn't used to Aerrow fighting back. Whenever she'd gotten angry before, he'd given only minimal resistance, if any at all. She swung an arm to knock him out of the way, but was surprised when Aerrow caught her hand effortlessly, grabbing the other as it flew fisted at his chest. Had his reflexes always been so fast?

Of course, Piper wasn't about to give up _**that**_ easily. She pulled back with all her strength, but Aerrow's hold was firm. Kicking out, she swept a foot from beneath him. That, plus the force of her tugging arms sent Aerrow headlong towards the ground. Piper realised the flaw in her plan as the boy landed on top of her. Rolling around on the grass, the pair jostled, Aerrow not relinquishing his hold, and Piper not ceasing her efforts to break free.

When they finally stopped, Piper found herself looking up into Aerrow's stern gaze. Her friend straddled her, his tight grip on her wrists helped to keep her down. Neither could speak, their chests heaving from the exertion of their tussle. For a few moments, all they did was exchange glares.

"Look, Pi—" Aerrow stopped, quickly turning his face away as one of Piper's hands flailed, having escaped from his grip. Before he was able to pin her hand back to the ground, Piper's nails grazed Aerrow's face, leaving two shallow cuts along his left check. In a final bid for freedom, the girl swung her limbs and trashed about, but was unable to dislodge her friend.

Piper angrily slammed her head into the ground, regretting the action as her world began to spin. Her body went limp in defeat, but she wasn't surprised when Aerrow didn't lessen his hold. He knew her better than that.

"Can't you _**see**_? Doesn't this _**prove**_ anything?" Aerrow asked between greedy gulps of air. "We shouldn't be tired, but we _**are**_. We're weak, especially you—"

"Hey!" Piper took his words as insult.

"You haven't been eating, Piper! I know those berries make you sick..."

Aerrow's rage was losing steam. He dropped his head, but Piper caught the tears glistening in his eyes and she could feel his hands shake against her wrists. Piper lay still, shocked at the boy's confession. She thought she'd hidden her problem so well. Was Aerrow watching her that closely, or was she that bad of an actor?

"We need food, clothes too," Aerrow didn't look up at her, his voice was barely over a whisper, "If we don't get any, we're done for."

"So, let be come with you," Piper begged.

"No." Aerrow's voice was firm as he lifted watery eyes to meet hers, "You're not well enough. I promised to look after you and protect you, and I don't break my promises."

Aerrow stood, leaving Piper on the ground. She watched as he walked to the skimmer, wiping his tears in his tattered sleeve. Radarr gave a worried chirp from the skimmer's seat. Aerrow sent his friend a reassuring smile before lifting him up and onto the ground.

"You stay and look after Piper, 'kay Radarr?" Aerrow tousled the fur between the sky monkey's ears.

Making no protest, Radarr gave the boy a mock salute and marched determinately to the girl's side. Piper had collected enough strength to lift herself onto her knees. Sitting back on her feet, she sent Aerrow one last, pleading glance, but the redhead only shock his head.

"I'll only be gone a few hours," he reassured. "If I don't find another terra before noon, I'll turn around and come right back."

Holding up a crystal that matched the brightening sky overhead, Aerrow turned to Radarr, "This is the one I use, right?"

The sky monkey's nod was all the consolation the boy needed before throwing blue rock into the skimmer's engine. Revving up the vehicle, Aerrow gave the pair behind him a wave before speeding across the grass. Piper gasped as boy and machine dropped off the side of the terra, but her fears subsided as she heard the snap or deploying wings and watched the skimmer rising up and away.

Radarr and Piper had sat on the damp grass, eyes skyward, until Aerrow was less than a dot on the horizon. With a little encouragement from the sky monkey, Piper picked herself up and the pair worked on patching a few hole the wind had made in their fort's walls.

They had just sat down to a late lunch when the far off rumbling of a skimmer's engine caught their attention. Girl and beast patiently sat on a large rock near the entrance of the cave as they watched the distant dot grow wings and eventually take the shape of skimmer and rider. Aerrow's red mop whipped in the wind like a flare as he circled the terra to aim his landing. The skimmer screeched in protest as Aerrow let it down with a _**bang **_and broke hard. The waiting pair dashed towards the skimmer that left a curvy, brown trail as blades of grass flew from under its wheels.

"Here." was all Aerrow said, handing Piper a heavy bundle before staggering towards the cave.

"Aerrow!"

She gave pursuit. Slowed by her load, Piper caught up with Aerrow at the cave mouth, where he'd slidden down the wall. His face was pale, a sickly grey-green tint to it. Rushing inside, Piper dumped the package near their beds before returning to her friend with a fresh cup of water in hand.

Crouching down to hand him the drink, Piper couldn't help but scrunch her nose at the stench that lingered in the air around the boy. Dust and soot clung to the crevices of Aerrow's skin and clothes, and Piper felt a pang of guilt when she noticed the dirt mingling with the dried blood her own nails had drawn from the boy's check. Piper reached out a hand to raise Aerrow's head to get a better look, but he caught her hand mid-journey.

"I'm okay." he said, face still turned down as he rose, "Sorry about the smell. I'll go clean up."

"Aerrow." Piper grabbed the retreating boy's arm, and he turned his weary face to finally meet hers.

As emerald bore into gold, Piper let her hand fall. Aerrow turned once more and made his way towards the pool. Piper knew the emotions swarming in her friend's eyes. They inhabited her nightmares and haunted her waking thoughts. She knew what Aerrow had seen, and for once, was thankful for his chivalry.

**  
And the reflection of a lie will keep me waiting  
**

The talons hadn't stuck around to watch the town burn to the ground. Finn supposed they'd had better things to do. The boy was left to be the only witness to his home's final destruction. Sitting against a tree near the forest's edge, he'd watched as building after building collapsed as the flame and smoke consumed everything in its path. Night had fallen by the time the fire had run out of fuel and the roar decreased into the occasional pop or crackle. The entire terra had been eerily quiet as Finn curled up against the ruff bark of the tree, there wasn't even a wind to rustle leaves or scurrying critters to trample the earth. At the time, he hadn't been sure how long he would be able to suffer through the soundless world.

Huddled under his blanket on a particularly bustling evening in the woods, Finn found himself longing for a relief from the racket. Rodents pattered up trees and among the leaves on the forest floor, while birds overhead chattered endlessly as their young cried for food. Finn's eyes widened in fear upon hearing heavy breathing and rumbling footsteps only feet away. He covered himself entirely with his quilt and prayed the beast would pass him unnoticed.

Summer had morphed into autumn, the foliage becoming a pallet of bright colours that reminded Finn too much of the flames that licked the sky that first dreadful night. Finn had spent the first few days afterwards wandering through the trees, picking berries to eat along the way. After a bout of diarrhea, Finn realized he had to be cautions about what he chose to put in his mouth.

It was on the fourth day that he'd stumbled upon someone's forest garden—it had been a popular hobby of the townsfolk. Weeds had begun to choke some of the plants, but Finn had been able to pluck away the nuisances and save most of the vegetables growing in the small patch. It had been here that he'd chosen to take up permanent residence. Using his father's old pocket knife, Finn had cut down some lower branches and leaned them against a large trunk to create a sloppy lean-to. It wasn't pretty, but it kept out the rain and kept in his warmth, which he needed more and more now that the chill of winter was setting in.

Finn relaxed his tense muscles as he heard the large creature outside his little shelter move on. His shivers were no longer of fear. He mentally berated himself for forgetting to bring extra clothes along with his last rations of food. He had thought of going back to the town to see if he could scrounge anything from the rubble, but he knew there would be nothing left, and in his heart, it felt wrong to disturb the resting place of so many any more than it already had been.

Finn had no idea what he was going to do when winter _**truly**_ came. He had no way of preserving the vegetables in his garden, so he would have no choice but to let the frost claim them. He had tried lighting fires, but he just didn't have the skills required. He would probably freeze to death before he starved.

He still held onto the hope—his only hope—that someone would come and save him. He knew it was highly improbable, probably impossible, but what other choice did he have? He wasn't going to just give up, lie down and let death come. He'd fought too hard and given too much to allow himself to do that. _**Grace**_ had given too much for him to allow himself to do that.

And so, Finn held onto the dream he knew was a lie and waited for the sun to rise to give him the warmth and comfort he needed to sleep. As his eyes drifted closed, Finn thought he heard the sound of an approaching skimmer, but he was half asleep and his ears had tricked him before. Turning over, he covered his head with his blanket and let the long-awaited slumber to take him.

* * *

**Not as long as the last chapter, but still not a bad length. I know Finn's part wasn't very long, but I'm following lyrics, so I've got limitations ;)**

**A question for my reviewers: **

**How are my characterizations? It's hard writing them as kids because you have to develop your characters backwards. Does that make sense? What I decided to do was to take some prominent characteristics and take out some of the maturity. For example, I've always seen Piper as spirited, logical and determined. I know Finn's character might seem really off, but he's still in shock mode and by himself, so I think his true character will shine through once he meets up with the others, which is soon! (I must say, I looking forward to writing with the new dynamic of Finn among the group!)**

**Also, I know Aerrow and Piper's fight might seem a little out of character, but again, they're children, and I think, to become the close friends we see in the Storm Hawks episodes, they need to go through some challenges in their relationship. They can't be nice to each other all the time, and for them to grow, they have to overcome diversity. It was also fun to show Aerrow taking a true leadership roll like he will later in life.**

**That's all my rambling for one day! I hope you enjoyed reading this latest chapter and feel free to review! I consider all comments and critiques!  
**


	5. Chapter 5: Faith Is All I Hold

**First and foremost, thank you to my wonderful reviewers: pluvia somniun, The Rose of the Rush, TheAngel'sWings, Midnight-Rose-Dew, WhispertheWolf, Abysilityy, and Kina Gray!**

**To TheAngel'sWings: Thanks for telling me about the typos! I edit all my own stuff, so it's really easy to miss things, and if you tell me about my mistakes, I will always fix them!**

**Secondly, I'm _so sorry_ for not updating this fanfic in like, a month and a half! Unfortuntetly, my laptop broke again... actually, it broke a few times in the last few months. I sent it away three times and it's now on it's 3rd motherboard.... Anyway, to get to the point, my computer access has been limited, and every minute I've gotten has gone to school work. But, my term is coming to an end! Only exams to write now! So, with my school work complete and my computer returned (for now, at least...), I'll have a lot more time for writing!**

**One last thing before I let to get to the story. I was watching "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" the other week, and a quote from the movie really struck me, because it essentially states a major theme of this story:  
**

_**"Frodo: ...I wish none of this had happened.  
**_

**_"Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."_**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Storm Hawks, nor the song "Shattered" by Trading Yesterday._  
_**

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Chapter 5: Faith Is All I Hold

**Love gone for so long **

"Let me go with you tomorrow."

Piper heard the hammering overhead falter, but after a moment of silence, it returned to its regular rhythm.

Sighing, Piper looked down from the nearly completed ceiling and back to the mess of paper and crystals laid out on the floor around her. It had become her hobby, experimenting with the different types of crystals Aerrow brought home from his trips. On one occasion, he'd found a box of pens and notebooks, so she was now able to document her findings. Most of the crystals were power sources for skimmers and other machines, although she'd discovered one type of crystal that gave off enough heat to cook by (without blowing up in the process). She kept these crystals safe in the cave, for when winter truly set in and they would need warm meals.

Shivering, Piper wrapped her blanket more tightly around her. Winter was getting dangerously close. All that was green had turned brown and brittle. The grass and leaves were no longer soft, and the sun was not enough to keep them warm. The damp cave was no use to them now. Just two mornings ago, they'd woken up to find all the rock was covered in a thin sheet of ice, while snow-like frost covered the ground outside.

They'd permanently moved to the fort that afternoon, although Piper believed it was much more that a mere childish "fort" now. Along with food, cloths and crystals, Aerrow had also brought home any bit of building supplies he could get his hands on. All the small scraps of wood were sacrificed to their collection of firewood, but on occasion he found larger boards and nails, often taking many trips over multiple days to bring back, since the skimmer could only carry so much weight.

The first thing the trio had built was a small platform in the branches above their rock-walled room. Their next project was a makeshift ladder that ran up the tree trunk to provide easier access. As the weeks continued to pass, they added walls, and when the willow began to lose its leaves, they began on ceilings for both the lower and upper floor. They'd made the platform's roof first, to test their techniques before tackling the larger, lower room.

They had been half way through the upper roof when Piper realized they would have no source of heat for the coming winter. She then left the other two to work on her own project: a small, rock fireplace and chimney. She'd used the same techniques as they had on their rock walls, and the job was finished quicker than she'd expected.

Piper had tried to help Aerrow, but he'd sent her back inside when she began to shake so much that she could no longer hand him the nails. She found herself wishing—for perhaps the thousandth time—that the boy wasn't so observant, yet she also found herself appreciating his concern and attention.

Piper thought back to the day Aerrow had first left on the skimmer–when she first discovered how close an eye he kept on her—and decided that they'd all gotten along better since that day. Seeing that she could hide nothing from her friend, Piper had stopped trying. They had become much more open with each other, sharing their problems and worries, and working together to find solutions. Piper often wondered if this new understanding came from Aerrow and Radarr's new empathy and understanding. They too were now haunted by the death and destruction they'd seen on their trips to the surrounding terras. Aerrow had opened up to her a few days after his first trip, telling her of the charred remains, the sickening smells, and the total absence of life and sound that infested all the surrounding terras.

Now that they were open with their pains, they could do the same with their happiness. They teased each other as they worked, and laughed at things only they would find funny. Smiles were becoming more frequent than frowns, and when the sadness set in, they knew how to cheer each other up.

Of course, they still had their arguments. A quick glance across the room at their large water barrel reminded Piper of one of their more fiery disputes. Aerrow had found the barrel late one evening. Not having time to secure it to the skimmer, he'd come home empty-handed, but excited. They would finally be able to keep a water supply in the fort, using the skimmer to drag the full barrel up the hill after refilling. It was when Piper brought up the idea of her going along to help with such a big project that the argument began. It was were most of their arguments began, actually. Aerrow still hadn't let her go to the terras with him, even though Radarr had accompanied him multiple times. Piper had been especially persistent in her barrage that evening, and Aerrow had been especially tired. Angry snaps had turned to an all-out shouting match. Aerrow—once again—came out the victor, but Piper had not taken defeat gracefully. She'd refused to talk to him the next day and left him and Radarr to fill the barrel all by themselves when Aerrow returned with it. Piper had felt ashamed of her childishness that evening, when Aerrow fell exhausted onto his bed. She apologized and thanked him for all his hard work, and Aerrow had smiled at her before he fell asleep. All was forgiven.

Piper looked up once more as she heard Aerrow descending the ladder, stopping halfway to close the hatch in the ceiling before leaping down to the floor.

"Whatcha' doing?" he asked, glancing around at the notebooks and crystals scattered on the floor.

"Nothing much," Piper answered, moving to collect her work into a neat pile, "I'm just trying to figure out how to stop the skimmer's engine from overheating on warm days. That blue crystal you brought me yesterday wasn't like the others. This one freezes things. I'm hoping to find an amount that will cool the skimmer without freezing it."

"No wonder it's so chilly in here!" Aerrow smirked, but shivered himself.

"Haha." Piper said sarcastically, "We both know it's just as cold outside. I didn't want to start a fire until it got dark, so we wouldn't waste wood."

"Well, I say we put the fire in a little early." Aerrow answered, crouching down next to the tiny fireplace and stuffing wood inside, "You did a good job with the fireplace, by the way. It was smart to have the chimney go up past Radarr's room, so it will get heat too."

The upper platform had become a favourite haunt of the sky monkey. The little room was quite cozy, and Radarr seemed to like high places. Piper was willing to guess that sky monkeys were tree-dwelling creatures.

"He might want to come down tonight," Piper said, referring to Radarr, "I have a feeling it's going to be a cold one."

"He'll come down if he needs to." Aerrow reassured as he used a crystal to start the fire. The flames burst to life, crackling loudly as the dry wood burned.

Piper had finished picking up her research, packing it all away in a box she kept in one corner. Going to the water barrel, she filled two glasses and picked out two overly-ripened fruit.

"Thanks." Aerrow received his share gratefully.

"We don't have much left." Piper admitted.

"How's the stuff in the cave?" Aerrow asked.

They had saved up all the canned, boxed and jarred food Aerrow and Radarr had been able to scrounge, eating only the perishable fruits and vegetables. They kept a large box in the cave that held the food they were stocking for the winter.

"Not bad. As long as we keep collecting on good days, I think we'll be okay." Piper replied, "Do you think you'll be able to find any more fruits?"

"Doubt it. Everything's frosted." Aerrow said, handing the seeds of his finished fruit to Piper. She put them in one of her many labelled jars. She hoped to have enough to make their own garden, come spring.

Aerrow sighed heavily. It was at times like this that Piper saw the happy twinkle leave his eyes, replaced by deep, worried thought that hardened his features.

"We'll be okay, Aerrow." Piper reassured, draping her large blanket around his shoulders as well, having noticed he was still shivering. It would take a while for the fire to warm the room.

They just sate there then, side by side, not talking. Silence no longer felt awkward to them. Words were no longer needed to fill frightening voids because they no longer existed. They were comfortable with each other, and it made Piper feel that they truly were a family now, with a real home and a perceivable future.

When the cold finally forced Radarr to join the pair, they all moved their beds—now with some fabric to soften the branches—near the fireplace and curled up in blankets warmed by their own body heat.

"Aerrow?" Piper asked timidly after they'd all settled.

"Yeah?" Aerrow mumbled, sleep setting in.

"You never answered me earlier."

Aerrow didn't reply.

"I know you're not asleep Aerrow," Piper chastised, "So, can I go with you tomorrow?"

"No." Aerrow's answer was sharp, and invited no response.

"And why not?" Piper was too stubborn to keep quite, "You can't say I'm too weak anymore. I built that fireplace all by myself. And it's not like I don't know what'll be there, I've seen it for myself, remember? You have no other reasons for me not to go!"

"Piper," Aerrow whinned. Turning to face his friend, he sighed as he met her determined gaze. Piper could see he was worn out from finishing off the roof. His eyes were dulled and drained, holding none of their usual fire. He was in no mood to fight, and Piper was willing to use this to her advantage.

"_**Please**_, let me go." Piper begged.

"Just go to sleep." Aerrow sighed, closing his eyes.

"Give me a reason." Piper demanded, her voice rising, "I'm coming if you don't give me one."

Aerrow's anger came quick and unexpected. He shot up suddenly, eyes snapping open to meet Piper's. "It's dangerous! We could crash, we could get hurt in the rubble, we could get lost..." Aerrow sighed again, the firelight cast harsh shadows on his stressed features, making him appear much older. His fire leaving him quickly. "I promised I'd look after you. I promised I'd—"

"But I promised too!" Piper shouted, eyes watering with her frustration.

A complete silence encased them, and it was not a comfortable one. The only thing that moved was Radarr's eyes, as they darted from Aerrow's tired eyes to Piper's angry tears.

Finally, Aerrow lowered his gaze, and mumbled an exhausted "Fine."

Piper smiled triumphantly, "Thank you Aerrow!"

She gave him a hug, but the boy pushed her away. Piper was taken aback by the glare Aerrow gave her before turning away and lying back down on his bed, saying, "I don't see why your so excited. There's nothing waiting for you to be happy about."

**  
This day's ending is the proof of time killing all the faith I know**

Finn arose even more drained than when he had crawled into his shelter the night before. The forest had been nosier than a bustling city as animals raced to finish their preparations before winter set in. The chill bit through his feeble wooden walls and thick quilt. There wasn't one part of his body that wasn't stiff and his stomach ached from hunger. He sat up, but dizziness drove him back down again, his eyes heavy.

Maybe he should just stay a rest a little longer. It seemed as the days grew shorter and colder, he slept longer and longer. It was especially cold this morning, and he hurt so much. Slumber seemed a welcome relief.

Finn stoped this all-to-familiar train of thought. He'd heard stories of people who went to sleep in the cold and never woke up. This was enough encouragement to get him up. He'd take a walk, he decided. That would get rid of his aches and chills.

Curling his blanket around him, Finn surveyed his garden. The little spirit he had held onto dropped as he saw the damage of the night. Frost had claimed his remaining vegetables, covering them in an icy layer, as if spiders had covered everything with webbing during the dark hours he'd spent asleep. He plucked a cabbage from the hardened soil. He tossed it back a forth between his hands, like he would a ball, feeling its weight on his weak, trembling fingers. He cracked in open, ice and brittle leaves sprinkled down in a miniature snowstorm. Sighing, he allowed both halves to drop to the ground. They landed with an all-to-solid thud.

Finn continued along his regular path that twisted through the trees in a large circle around his makeshift camp. His mind drifted, but Finn had no worries of trips or falls. The way was far too familiar to his feet. He could walk it in his sleep—he practically was.

Finn heard the sound of his imaginary rescue skimmer rumbling overhead. He shock his head to rid himself of the delusion. He'd heard the sound—_**thought **_he heard the sound—to often to let himself think it was real. His imagination was becoming to real these days, and his reality to much like a dream. They blurred together until he could no longer tell them apart. He pinched himself to make sure he was awake, but he wasn't even sure if the pain was real.

Finn was only paces from his little clearing when he paused. His acute hearing had picked up the rustling of leaves. There was a crack of a twig, and patter of rolling pebbles. This was no small animal that lay just out of his sight behind the thick foliage. He would have to approach with caution.

"Look! A vegetable garden!"

Finn stopped dead in his tracks. Was that a voice? A real, _**human**_ voice? Or, was it just his imagination again.

"Oh, what a shame, its all covered in frost."

It sounded girlish, but Finn couldn't be sure. It was so long since he'd heard a voice, even his own. He was unsure what they sounded like. He couldn't remember.

Tightening his grip on his quilt, which still hung from his shoulders, Finn took a steadying breath, then strode into the clearing. The rustle of the branches he flung aside as he broke through the leafy barrier announced his arrival to the girl who stood by his vegetable patch. She turned quickly.

She was thin—too thin. Her skin was dark, as if she'd been rolling in mud, and her hair was long and wild, with the odd leaf knotted into the mess. She wore a few layers of clothing—although it was all worn and patched—which only made her look even tinier underneath. On the girl's shoulders was the most bizarre creature he had ever seen. It was hairy and blue, with long ears and neck. Its massive eyes gave Finn the feeling that it could see deep into his heart and soul.

The girl's own eyes grew large at the sight of him and she took a step back the same moment he did.

Two equally high-pitched screams rung through the chilly forest air.

**  
Knowing that faith is all I hold **

"No good. This place is all burned out too—" Aerrow stopped as he reached the spot where he'd left Piper and Radarr with the skimmer.

The skimmer stood alone. There was no sign of the girl or the sky monkey. Aerrow groaned, exasperated. But, he couldn't say he hadn't expect this.

He had still been angry with Piper when they'd gotten up that morning and had refused to speak to her the entire trip to the terra. When they'd finally arrived, he'd told her to stay with Radarr by the skimmer. When she'd protested, he'd told her that he'd agreed to let her come to the terra, but nothing more. Aerrow had then left quickly, before the fuming girl could make any argument.

It had been a stupid move, Aerrow realized this now. Piper would never stay quietly by the skimmer and wait for him, especially if she was mad at him. Now, she had wandered off and was probably lost. If he'd had any insight, he'd have taken her with him so he could keep an eye one her.

Aerrow's thoughts were cut short when screams rocked the still forest. His head shot towards the sound's source as birds took flight in surprise. Not stopping to think, Aerrow dashed through the trees.

Every dreadful scenario his imagination could create began to flash, unwanted, in his mind. Had they fallen off a cliff? Had some beast attacked them? Had they been captured by crazy forest-dwellers?

As he suddenly crashed into a clearing, Aerrow stopped abruptly. His eyes went straight to Piper, Radarr on her shoulders. She stood stiff in fear, her eyes wide. Aerrow followed her gaze to see the origin of her fear.

A boy, around their age, stood near the trees. His blue eyes and golden hair may have once been bright, but dirt, grim and sorrow dulled all colour. He was skinny—worse than even Piper had been—the shadows of the trees overhead highlighted his gaunt features as they curved around the hollows of his cheeks and neck. He shock in fear and, most likely, from the cold. His skin was covered in goose bumps and his lips were a worrying shade of blue. And it was no wonder, for he wore only thin, tattered clothing and a homemade quilt around his shoulders like a robe.

The blonde's eyes had snapped to Aerrow the moment he'd stormed onto the scene. Looking closer, Aerrow saw that what he had first took as fear in the other boy's eyes was actually surprise.

Aerrow's gaze turned back towards his two friends. The moment his and Piper's eyes met, the spell of silence was broken.

"Aerrow!" she cried as she sprinted to him. Grabbing his arm, she turned to the new boy with eyes stony with distrust.

The sudden movement seemed to startle the newcomer, and he took a step backwards. His heel caught a root and he fell backwards, arms flailing. Aerrow moved to help the fallen boy, but Piper's grip held him back.

"Don't Aerrow," she whispered harshly, "He could be dangerous!"

"Quit being so silly, Piper," Aerrow retorted, wiggling out of his friend's hold. "Just look at him! Even if he _**wanted**_ to hurt us, he's too weak to do anything."

Radarr jumped to Aerrow's shoulders as the redhead began to cautiously walk towards the other boy. Piper held back for a moment, uncertain, but quickly caught up with her two friends, hiding herself partially behind Aerrow's back.

Aerrow expected the blonde to edge away from their approach, but he merely observed them from his seat on the forest floor, appearing more curious than anything else. He had his head angled slightly to the side, as if he was trying to decipher the unusual image before him.

"Hi," Aerrow said when he came to stand over the boy. Giving a friendly smile, Aerrow held out a tentative hand, "My name's Aerrow. What's yours?"

The boy's eyes roved between Aerrow's face and hand for a few moments, seemingly unsure where his focus should be. Finally, he reached up his own hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet.

"F-finn," the boy's voice was gravely from disuse.

Radarr stretched out his neck to give the boy—Finn—a closer observation. Finn held up a hand to the sky monkey, and was surprised when Radarr gave a friendly chirp and zealously shock it—Aerrow had a feeling Finn had except Radarr to sniff his hand like some house pet.

"This is Radarr," Aerrow introduced, then nodded behind him, "And Piper."

Piper took a nervous step back as the other three turned to her. Aerrow was surprised by her actions. Sure, Piper had taken time to open up to him, but _**never**_ had she looked at him with the distrust and unease she was showing towards Finn.

"Hi." Finn croaked, thrusting his hand towards Piper.

Piper looked at Finn's outstretched hand and then at Aerrow, her eyes asking him if she had to oblige. He gave a quick nod in Finn's direction to say that yes, she had to. So— begrudgingly—Piper offered her own hand to a brief, stiff handshake.

"Where did you come from?" Finn asked, turning to Aerrow—he'd supposedly caught onto Piper's icy aura.

"We live on a terra not too far from here," Aerrow explained, "We came looking for food and supplies, but—"

"There's nothing left." Finn finished, his tone a mixture of sorrow and anger.

"Yeah." Aerrow looked at his feet, tyring to think of something else to say, "Umm... are you the only... umm... the only one—"

"Yeah." Finn knew what Aerrow was tyring to ask.

"You're all alone?" Aerrow was pleased to hear a hint sympathy in Piper's voice.

Finn nodded as he looked towards a makeshift shelter made of branches placed against a large tree trunk.

"Would you like to come home with us?" Aerrow asked.

"Aerrow!" Piper protested.

"What's wrong, Piper?" Aerrow asked his friend, "Why are you so untrusting? When you came to our terra, I didn't think for a second that I wouldn't look after you and let you stay, so should I do any different for Finn?"

Piper looked ashamed. Aerrow felt bad for the guilt he'd put in her eyes. He knew Piper was just as carrying as himself, she was just logical too, and he knew she liked to think things through thoroughly before making a decision.

"It's okay," Finn said, not sounding very convincing, "I'm fine here by myself—"

"No," Piper cut in, "I don't mind you coming with us. That is, if you want."

Finns face broke into a wide, toothy grin and he nodded fervently, "Oh _**course**_ I want to!"

* * *

**Well, there you have it! I hope the length made up (a bit) for the wait! I know Piper's part was a little long, but I had a lot to cover! I apologize for any typos. I wrote this in two evenings, and I hurried to post it before I have to start studying for my exams!  
**

**A quick comment: I've always seen Piper and Finn's relationship as a rocky one, so I figured that it would start out a little rocky too. Also, I really hope Piper didn't come across as a scaredy-cat, because she was supposed to be more weary than anything else. And finally, I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but make fun of Finn's girly scream ;)**

**Feel free to review! I appreciate all comments and criticisms!  
**


	6. Chapter 6: I Can't Understand

**Hello again! I'm back with an update much quicker this time! I worked really hard on this (when I wasn't studying for exams) to get this up before I leave on a trip tomorrow. Now that my term is over, I'm hoping to get a chapter up weekly!**

**Thanks to my reviewers: XXSilverXTwilightXX, The Rose of the Rush, pluvia somnuim and WhispertheWolf. I know you guys don't review to be mentioned, but I know I get a fuzzy feeling inside when I'm mentioned for anything, so I like to do the same for my reviewers!**

**The Rose of the Rush: About Finn's OOCness. I thought a lot about how Finn would react to meeting the others and I think his reaction is better explained in this chapter. So, please read on.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Storm Hawks or "Shattered" by Trading Yesterday.  
**

* * *

Chapter 6: I Can't Understand

**And I've lost who I am **

Finn closed his eyes and breathed slow and deep, allowing the cool air to fill his lungs. The icy breath awoke him, giving him a feeling of newness and freshness. He liked the feeling. How different it was from the staleness that smothered his existence only days earlier. Finn's lips curved up slightly—his first true smile since he'd met his new friends—as he opened his eyes to survey the small terra from his perch high up in the willow.

Naked branches rustled around him in the breeze, the chill of the rapidly approaching winter nipping at his reddening cheeks. The wilting terra had a feeling of emptiness, laying colourless in the twilight as the sun's final palette of fading pinks drifting towards the horizon. But this emptiness was different from what he'd experienced in the overwhelming silence of his dead town, or the lonely exclusion of the noisy nights in the forest. This emptiness was not endless and imminent, but an escape. For Finn knew that if he looked down, he would see the gentle glow from the fire through the windows, and maybe hear cheerful laughter rising up with the breeze.

It really was a nice home—and he didn't think that only because it was an improvement on his previous accommodations. He had a warm, dry and comfortable place to sleep—not to mention _**safe**_—and had good food to eat. Sure, the Piper girl could be annoying and bossy at times, but she appeared to mean well, and that sky-monkey-thing they called Radarr still freaked him out a bit, but Aerrow was always nice and helpful. They had given him his space, letting him roam around alone and not bugging him with questions. He'd never be able to tell them how much he appreciated that simple gesture—probably never would.

The first star appeared overhead, twinkling in the inky sky. Finn smiled sadly. How much it reminded him of her: so bright, so confident.

"Hey, Grace" he whispered, "Come to see how I'm doin'?"

The little light winked its response.

"It's nice here." Finn reassured, "They're all really nice to me."

Finn sighed, pulling his legs up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them.

"Have I won yet Grace?" he asked, lowering his gaze, "Or am I still hiding?"

He didn't need to be told the answer. Finn knew. He knew he'd been hiding since he'd first set eyes on his new friends. He'd hid his fear, trying to appear unalarmed as they'd approached him. He'd hid his sadness behind wide grins, hid his worry behind constant jokes and foolishness. Unable to deal with others in his new state of lost innocence, he'd diverted back to his old self: the cocky, grinning little prankster who saw the fun in everything.

"Yeah, still hiding." Finn admitted, turning his face skyward once more, "But, that's what you want, right Grace? Do you remember? You told me once, after mom and dad died, to never change. Do you remember Grace? I'd asked some stupid question and you laughed and said 'Finn, don't ever change.' And I won't Grace, I promise. I'll stay the same little brother you always had. No matter how hard it is, I'll—"

Finn buried his head in his knees. Biting his lip, he held back the sobs and blinked back the tears. It wouldn't be right to cry in front of Grace. He had to show her he was strong.

"Hey Finn!" he heard Aerrow's voice call from below, "Supper's ready, if you want any!"

"'kay! Be right down!" Finn called back.

Rising, he began to make his careful decent down through the branches. Bypassing what the other's called "Radarr's Room," Finn slid down the trunk to the ladder that connected the upper and lower rooms. Scrambling down the rungs, he came to the roof and hatch door that lead to the main room.

Before descending, Finn forced a smile and was surprised how easily it came.

**And I can't understand **

"_FINN!_"

Aerrow and Radarr cringed simultaneously at Piper's shriek. The fort's front door slammed open as Finn—laughing manically—ran out and down the snowy slop, a dripping wet Piper hot on his heels. Radarr's curious gaze followed the odd pair, but Aerrow just shock his head and went back to patching up a hole in the fort's outer wall. He'd had enough of being the mediator for one day.

Today's fiasco had started first thing this morning, when Piper screamed the others awake. They'd found her with hair frizzed and face red with anger, claiming Finn had been messing around with her crystals _again_. Finn had flatly denied the accusation and a shouting match had ensured. Aerrow was certain they would have continued all morning if he'd not stepped in and guilted Finn into admitting he _had_ been picking at Piper's crystals, while convincing the stubborn girl to accept the apology.

But, of course, they'd just moved on to the _next_ disagreement. Finn couldn't just let bygones be bygones. He'd had to reciprocate, which lead to an argument over Piper having a larger serving at breakfast. The pair had been going back and forth all day.

Not a day had gone by since Finn joined the group that he and Piper hadn't had some type of argument. At first, Aerrow had been at a loss at what to do. But he soon learned that a simple suggestion could make his friends see eye to eye—even if only for a few minutes—and he learned to be quick with thinking up solutions. However, Aerrow was happy that every day wasn't as bad as today, or he was sure he'd have no patience left.

Finishing his task, Aerrow turned to find Piper still pursuing Finn through the ankle-deep snow. It was then that he noticed that Piper was without a coat, soaking wet and her lips were turning a warning shade of blue.

"Hey Piper!" Aerrow called, "Maybe you should go dry off before you freeze!"

Piper paused, and as if just realizing how cold she was, starting shivering uncontrollably.

"You're p-p-probably right-t, Aerrow," she agreed, trudging up the hill towards the fort.

Finn joined Aerrow and Radarr once Piper had disappeared inside.

"You'd think I'm the cause of every problem in her life, the way she acts." Finn complained, wiping sweat off his brow, "I hardly do _anything_. She's just too uptight and bossy to have a bit of fun, and she won't let any of us have fun either!"

"Well, you _do_ egg her on, Finn." Aerrow answered.

"But she eggs _me_ on too!" the blonde countered.

"Well, maybe you two just need some time away from each other," Aerrow suggested, as much for himself as for the others, "Why not you and Radarr got find some more firewood? We're getting low."

"What? _Me, _drive the skimmer _alone_?!" Finn asked, hardly hiding his excitement.

"You drove back last time we went and did fine," Aerrow answered, "And Radarr will be there if you need him."

"Wahoo!" Finn jumped skyward, pumping a fist, before turning to the sky monkey, "Let's go Radarr! Race ya to the skimmer!"

After watching his two friends take off safely towards the nearby terra where they got most of their wood, Aerrow made his way to the fort. He stopped to knock at the door before entering, not wanting to repeat Finn's previous mistake of barging in on Piper while she was dressing.

"You can come in, Aerrow." he heard Piper call from within.

He found Piper sitting in front of the fire, wearing dry clothes and a large blanket wrapped around her.

"How'd ya know it was me?" the redhead asked, closing the door behind him.

"Do Radarr and Finn strike you as the knocking type?" Piper asked, skeptic.

"Guess not." Aerrow admitted, moving to sit beside his friend.

Still shivering slightly, Piper shifted closer to Aerrow in an attempt to steal some of his body heat. The pair sat in silence for a while, but Aerrow knew that Piper was about bursting to say something, so he waited for her verbal onslaught to begin.

"That _Finn_ is just so...so..."

"Annoying? Lazy? Impossible?" Aerrow suggested some of Piper's favourite adjectives for the other boy.

Piper was quick to catch her friend's sarcastic tone, "Sorry. I complain too much."

"It's okay," Aerrow smiled, "It's good to let it out on me instead of Finn, for a change."

"But Finn deserves it." Piper muttered.

"Not as much as you think." Aerrow stated.

"Who's side are you on?!" Piper demanded.

"Both your sides." Aerrow answered, "You guys are just different. You like plans, but Finn's more of a go-with-the-flow kind of guy. You like order and neatness, Finn couldn't be bothered. You can do the same thing for hours, Finn gets bored after a few minutes—"

"I get it." Piper grumbled.

"—_but_," Aerrow continued as if he hadn't heard her, "you're both here to stay, so you're going to have to find a way to get along—for _some_ of the time, at least."

"I can only promise to try." Piper sighed, but gave a small smile.

"That's all I ask." Aerrow replied, returning the grin.

_BANG!_

Piper and Aerrow jumped at the sudden, loud noise. Rushing outside, they found Radarr and Finn at the bottom of the hill along with the skimmer, a wing askew.

"Finn! What have you _done_?" Piper cried, running towards the others, her blanket flapping from her shoulders.

"It wasn't me!" Finn defended, "We were only a few minutes away when we noticed that we were low on crystals and we had to turn around! I had to land without power!"

"Don't make excu—"

"I'm n––"

The fight stopped abruptly when something cold and wet hit both Finn and Piper squarely in the face. Turning, they spied Radarr and Aerrow poised with two more snowballs.

And so the snowfall fight began. Finn and Piper dived behind the skimmer for cover, while Radarr and Aerrow ducked behind a large boulder. As he and Radarr were bombarded by a snowy assault they would soon be forced to surrender to, Aerrow couldn't help but smile. His friends were finally working together.

**  
Why my heart is so broken **

Junko made his way along the forest path, following the voices of the other wallop children. It took all of Junko's courage to walk through the trees alone. The thick foliage blocked out much of the sun's light and the vines hanging from the branches seemed to creep and crawl like the lanky limbs of the monsters in his nightmares. The wall of trees soon opened up into the sandy base of one of the many mountains that had been carved into a fist over the generations. The next mountain was under construction, a monument to the newly appointed chief Thrag.

The children were not allowed near the sculptors while they worked, so they congregated here, to watch the progress and play with the large boulders that fell down and rolled their way. Most of the group had become bored with observing and had moved on to play. They were having a contest to see who could break the largest boulder.

As Junko approached, one girl turned and sneered, "Hey look! It's the runt!"

The rest of the children turned. A group of boys his own age—all a good head taller than him—stomped forward to meet him halfway.

"You want a try, runt?" one boy growled, his smile slightly menacing.

Junko just shock his head, too shy and scared to speak.

"Oh course ya do!" another countered, grabbing the tuft of hair on the little wallop's head and dragging him towards the boulder.

Junko struggled, thrashing his arms and legs, but he was no match for the large, laughing children. Tears of pain threatened his eyes as the boy continued to pull him along by the hair and Junko began to wish he hadn't come out here at all.

"Go on," the boy shoved Junko towards the boulder, "Give it your best shot."

Junko scanned the circle of young wallops around him, their eyes filled with eagerness and anticipation. Finding no way out, Junko turned to the boulder.

Junko had never played this game before—he'd never been invited—but he'd watched his share from the sidelines. He knew would never been able to match the others in strength, but if he could hit it right, he might have a chance. Surveying the boulder, he found it: the one spot that all the others had hit before him. Taking a deep breath, he took a running start and smashed his fist into the massive rock.

Nothing happened. The children began to laugh triumphantly around him, the sound pushing in and suffocating the little courage he had left. Removing his bleeding knuckle from their place on the boulder, Junko dropped his head in defeat. He didn't see the crack that was slowly making its way along the boulder's surface and began spreading like wildfire. It was when the other's laughter stopped that Junko lifted his eyes once more, just in time to see the rock crumble into little pieces to gather around his feet.

"You cheat!" Junko was shoved from behind and fell face first into the dirt, "You tricked us!"

And so the onslaught began. Most only kicked sand in his face, but a few were brave enough to give him a foot in the stomach or a fist to the eye. Junko curled himself up into a ball. It wouldn't last long—it never did. If he stayed still and made no sound, they would soon get bored and move on. So, Junko covered his face in his arms and held back the sobs.

After a few minutes, they left as he'd predicted—one giving him one last kick for good measure. Junko didn't move until he could no longer hear their chatter as they headed back home.

Junko got up and slowly made his own way home. He could feel his left eye swelling up—probably wouldn't be able to see out of it soon—and the split skin of his knuckle was filled with dirt and grim. His parents weren't going to be happy.

He avoided the main road, sneaking in behind the houses. He always kept a weary eye on the stone buildings, which gave off a constant aura of near-collapse. Coming to his own home, Junko went in the back door, which opened into the kitchen.

Running the water in the sink, Junko put his hand under the flow and hissed as his cuts were cleaned. Finding an old cloth, he wrapped his knuckles sloppily. He was pulling a chair over to the freezer to get ice for his eye when he heard heavy footsteps outside the door. Junko hastily tried the wipe all the evidence of his tears from his face, but stopped as he saw it was his mother who entered.

"Oh, Junko," she sighed upon seeing her battered son, "What have they done to you this time?"

Junko's mother scooped him up and sat him on the counter just as easily as she would have a child half his age. Unwrapping the cloth, she cleaned and bandaged the cuts properly. Junko didn't squirm or complain, the procedure far too familiar. Washing the cloth, his mother filled it with ice and tied the ends tightly together before placing it on her son's bulging eye.

"All done." his mother announced, placing the little wallop back on the floor and leading him towards the sitting room, "Let's go read a story."

They were halfway through a tale of sky pirates and lost treasure when Junko's father stormed through the front door. The large wallop's features were stoney with fury.

"Hard day?" his mother asked.

Junko's father only growled and headed towards the kitchen. He stopped, however, upon spotting the makeshift icebag that his son held to a blackening eye.

"What!" his father roared, snatching the ice from Junko and turning to his mother, "What are you doing, babying him again?!"

"It's not his fault." his mother answered coolly.

"If he fought back, they'd leave him alone!" the male wallop countered, throwing the icebag in anger. It sailed clean through the kitchen door, leaving a fist-sized hole.

"I broke the stone. I won the game." Junko said timidly in an attempt to redeem himself.

"Don't lie to me!" his father boomed, "Go to your room and don't even _**think**_ about coming down for supper!"

Tears in his eyes, Junko ran upstairs and flung himself on his bed. Hugging his pillow, he cried openly. He could still hear his parents arguing over his sobs.

"Why won't you go to the clan? They could put a stop to this!"

"Go to the clan!? That boy has shamed this family enough already!"

"Why must you be so hard on him?"

"Because I have to! He's a disgrace! A dishonour! So little and weak and always crying. I'm beginning to wonder if that child's even a wallop! How can you expect me to be proud of such a thing? I'm ashamed to call him my son."

"Give him time! He'll grow, he'll mature. He's just later than the others. Give our son a chance!"

"I've given him enough chances—"

Junko covered his ears to muffle the angry voices. Pulling his blanket over his head, he cried himself to sleep.

* * *

**What was that? JUNKO?! Yup! I've finally got to the part where we get to see parts in Junko, Radarr and Stork's POVs! I'm very excited and frightened to get to this part, because I'll be writing characters I'm not used to, but I'm looking forward for a little change too!**

**Man, I'm mean to these poor kids :S But, the middle part wasn't SO bad... I was kinda hoping for it to be a little humorous, or at least light-hearted. Of course, I didn't really end on a good note...**

**I have to admit, not one part of this chapter turned out as I'd planned. Actually, some of it is SO different, I may have to change up my future plot a little bit (but nothing drastic). But, I'm still happy how it turned out.**

**Please review if you can! That makes _me_ feel all fuzzy inside ;)  
**


	7. Chapter 7: I Know All I Know

**As always, I want to start by thanking my wonderful reviewers: Midnight-Rose-Dew, WhispertheWolf, pluvia somnium, and The Rose of the Rush, you guys keep me writing!**

**Secondly, I want to apologize to my faithful readers for such a long wait on this chapter. My plan was to have this written a week and and half ago. But I found it really hard to get the motivation to write this chapter, and I ended up having to force myself to write _something_. I'm hoping the only problem is that I had to totally change this chapter because of the changes I made in the last one, and since I have this fic mostly planned out, I haven't had to sit down and think up new scenarios. So, I hope this chapter isn't too boring...**

**Also, I've got a little challenge for you guys! I just couldn't help putting a little Pooh Bear reference in this chapter. See if you can spot it! (I'll give you a hint, it's in the first section).**

**Warning: There has been a time skip since the last chapter. I think I make it quite clear in the story itself, but to avoid confusion, I'm letting you know now!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Storm Hawks, nor the song "Shattered" by Trading Yesterday.  
**

* * *

Chapter 7: I Know All I Know

**Rejecting your love **

The wind whipped Aerrow's hair roughly against his reddening checks. The boy breathed deep, taking in the cool, calming air. With a familiar twist of the handle, Aerrow made the skimmer roll, curving the surrounding clouds like cream. He laughed as the world went round once, twice, three times, adrenaline rushing through him.

Beaming, Aerrow levelled off just in time to see that home was quickly approaching. Doing a turn around the terra, he spotted the others working on their vegetable garden. Finn and Radarr jumped and waved upon seeing him—the pair would take any excuse to stop working for a few minutes.

Aerrow grinned mischievously. He had a audience, and he was always willing to give performance. Lining up to land, Aerrow came in steep and fast. Pulling up only metres above the ground, he made the skimmer do a loop-the-loop, levelling out just in time for the wheels to land harshly on the makeshift runway.

Finn and Radarr ran to meet him, whooping and cheering. Piper followed behind, her steps large and deliberate, fists placed firmly on her hips.

"Don't do stuff like that Aerrow!" she chastised, "That skimmer wasn't meant to do tricks. You'll break it _**and**_ your neck someday!"

"Come on, Piper. This skimmer's tough, and I'm a good pilot. Nothing's gonna happen." Aerrow topped off his reassurances with a lopsided grin, but Piper still didn't look convinced.

"Just wait, Aerrow," Finn said excitedly, "Someday, we'll have _**awesome**_ skimmers and be sky knights!"

"Oh, _**please**_. Why would they let someone like _**you**_ be a sky knight?" Piper crossed her arms, turning her earlier annoyance from Aerrow to its usual target.

"For the love of the Atmos, Piper, let yourself _**dream**_ a little." Finn sighed, exasperated.

"I much prefer reality, thank you very much." Piper said matter-of-factly before turning heal and marching back to the garden.

"She's such a _**bore**_." Finn grumbled, and hearing Piper calling to him to get back to work, he added, "and bossy too."

Aerrow chuckled to himself as he watched the others get back to work. Although a lot had changed in the two years they'd all been living together, some things never did—and probably never would.

And there was a lot that _**had**_ changed. They'd all grown a few inches, which meant major renovations to the fort to accommodate. They'd started the past spring, increasing the height of the walls and enlarging the upper platform so they could all fit in comfortably. They had finished the finishing touches last week, which was a good thing, since the rich colours of autumn had begun to appear.

The traffic in the air around their terra had also been growing steadily. It was not unusual for them to see at least one ship a week now. All the ships had the crest of Cyclonia painted on their hulls. Although they all passed by at a fair distance and didn't appear to notice the little terra, it was still a worry. Piper kept detailed notes on the number and sizes of ships, and her conclusion was that the Cyclonians must be moving citizens in to colonize the terras they'd taken over. So far, the ships had passed all the near by terras, but the group knew that—sooner or later—the surrounding terras would be inhabited and their supply of materials nonexistent.

Aerrow wheeled the skimmer to the small shed he and Finn had built for it the previous summer. It was only wood planks and nails, but it was sturdy and kept out the elements. They'd tried to convince Piper to store the skimmer crystals in the shed as well, but the girl trusted no storage but the cave, where she kept all the crystals she wasn't studying, along with her ever-growing seed collection.

Untying the wood from the rear of the skimmer, Aerrow laid it on the pile that ran along the shed's outer wall. Opening the skimmer's back compartment, he grabbed the small cloth bag kept safe inside. Hiding the bag behind his back, Aerrow made his way to where the others were digging in the dirt.

"Got something for ya." he said as he came to stand over Piper, casting a shadow over her work area.

"What?" Piper turned, and her eyes brightened as Aerrow presented the bag.

"They're brand-new ones." Aerrow commented, placing the present in the girls eager hands.

"Thanks Aerrow!" Piper beamed, pouring the four purple crystals into the palm of her hand, "I can't wait to take a closer look at them! Once..." the wistful gleam in her eyes dulled as she surveyed her unfinished weeding.

"I can finish for you, if you'd like." Aerrow offered.

"No." Piper was adamant—she hadn't let the boys do any weeding since their overzealous attempt last spring, in which they'd pulled up half the newly sprouted vegetables along with every other green thing in the patch, "But, would you mind putting these crystals up with the others? If I do it myself, I know I'll never get back to this."

"Sure." Aerrow smiled, secretly happy to avoid the gardening.

"Ah, no fair!" Finn groaned as he attempted to pluck carrots, while Radarr gave an agreeing chirp from where he was watering the cabbage.

"Is so fair!" Aerrow called back, his grin growing, "And don't worry, I'll be back to help in a minute!"

As he approached the fort, Aerrow couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. They had all worked extremely hard on it, and there was a bit of each of them in it. Finn had wanted windows, and had—surprisingly—taken the on the meticulous task of scrapping away the old mortar so they could remove the stones from the walls to make the needed holes. Piper had totally remade the fireplace, making it bigger to fit the room and tweaking her design. Aerrow had made a weather vane—cutting some wood in the shape of a bird to place on top—to help their takeoffs and landings. But Radarr's addition had been the most impressive. The sky monkey had surprised all of them about a month before when he presented a radio he had found and fixed. They'd been able to pick up one channel, but there was too much static to make out what was being said. Radarr still fiddled with the machine in the evenings, hoping to give them their first connection to the outside world.

As he entered their home, Aerrow stopped to admire another addition. Piper had finished of her fireplace with a carefully made mantel, which she'd made of a solid block of wood she'd carved with spirals. But it wasn't the beautiful mantel that caught Aerrow's eye, but what was placed on top of it. Two framed pictures sat on either side. One was of Finn's family, whom Aerrow only knew a little about, from the few nights Finn had woken him up with loud sobs and divulged to Aerrow the nightmares he had lived. The other frame held a picture of Piper and her parents. She had made the frame herself—not letting anyone help her—carefully flattening the creases her father had made in the photo.

Aerrow blinked, confused as he found himself tracing the smiling faces with a shaky index finger. He pulled his hand back quickly, feeling a tightening in his chest. He blinked again, keeping the tears at bay.

Aerrow would never tell the others, but it always hurt him to see the photos. They were a constant reminder that he had nothing—not even a memory—to remember his family. He'd tried again and again to remember, but nothing ever came to him. In the beginning, he'd recalled voices and screams, but the sounds had faded with the years. Now, all he had was dreams of faceless people asking him over and over why he didn't remember them.

But Aerrow still held onto a hope of finding his family one day, just like he hoped Piper would find her father. There was no certainty of their deaths, so in Aerrow's mind, they were alive. He'd tried to give up on his hopes—be more like Piper and not believe in dreams and fantasies—but that just wasn't who Aerrow was. His mind wouldn't agree to putting the _what ifs_ and _maybes_ on the backburner. They would poke and prod at his conscious until he couldn't ignore them anymore. Hope was something that was just ingrained in him, although Aerrow didn't know when or how it was, and that just brought the pain to full circle.

Aerrow took a calming breath before going to join the others. He returned their smiles and shared their work, putting this troubled thoughts aside. After all, there really _**were**_ things that never changed, even if you wanted them too.

**Without love gone wrong  
**

Piper's writing was more scratchy than usual as she recorded the latest fly-by. This morning's cargo ship had been the largest yet, and had passed their terra much closer than any before it. Piper was worried, but she knew there was nothing she could do. So she tossed the notebook into her experiment box and tried to alleviate her agitation by examining her latest batch of crystals.

Piper sat propped up against the fort's outer wall. The wind was up, so she had to use rocks as makeshift paperweights and the chill forced her to wear a blanket over her shoulders, but Piper had no want to be inside. She had every intention of getting all the fresh air she could before winter really set in and she would be forced to spend her days locked up indoors.

Besides, it was lonely inside at this time of year. They had finished gathering and preserving all the food they could over a week ago, and it was all stored safely in the cave. So the boys passed their time gathering firewood or practising daring stunts on the skimmer and pretending to be sky knights. At least when she was outside, Piper could hear their voices drifting up from the bottom of the hill.

Piper was beginning to consider the dead of winter her favourite time of the year. At that time, it was too cold to be outside, so the others turned to her for amusements. The past winter, she had taught them some reading, writing and arithmetic from the limited number of books she now possessed, since none of them had had any proper schooling since the invasion. Finn and Radarr had refused at first, and even Aerrow had been reluctant, but boredom and intrigue had won them all over in the end, and they'd made significant progress before the spring thaw.

Piper was sure that the others had forgotten everything she'd taught them by now. In the warm months, the only book the boys were interested in was a collection of adventure stories that she would read to them before bed. This really hadn't bothered her too much, because they'd all had work to do and this practically forced them to spend time together. But in the few weeks of limbo between autumn and winter, Piper truly felt left out and alone.

Allowing her gaze to roam, Piper found herself staring longingly at the others' mock, three-way battle below. They were covered in dirt from head to toe from all their rolling and tumbling, each holding a large twig like some sort of haggard sword. The trio jabbed their weapons at each other, twisting and turning to avoid being pocked by another's twig head.

It wasn't that the boys never asked her to play—they had quite frequently at first—Piper just didn't see any use in playing sky knight. What was the point? It was much more useful to experiment with her crystals. That was the front she'd put up at first. But as the invitations to join in got fewer and fewer, Piper began to find herself wanting to play as well.

But she had an image to uphold. She wasn't childish like the others. They needed an adult to keep an eye on things. Sure, Aerrow could be mature at times, and they had always let him make the important decisions—he was a natural born leader and they all knew it. However, Piper always got her say and consideration on all matters as well, which was often a good thing. The boys just didn't think of the solutions she brought up, and she was sure she'd prevented many a headache and backache for them all. Sure, she _**let**_ them think that they made the decisions, but Piper knew that she could be convincing, and if she really pushed a subject, they would all eventually agree—some, albeit, quicker than others.

Anyway, the guys wouldn't play the same with her as they did with each other. No matter how much they faked oblivion, she knew that they saw her as a girl. It was something that was just ingrained in boys; they treated girls different. Girls were weaker, fragile in some way. Aerrow had the most severe cause of the "girl syndrome." She'd seen the signs from the moment she'd woken up after her crash to find the redhead treating her like a porcelain doll that he could break. And even though he'd backed off, Piper still caught Aerrow giving her worried glances when she didn't clear her plate at meals or fell down while she worked.

What was the point of joining in when she would just ruin the game for them? She wasn't a boy, she was a girl, and girls just didn't do those things. At least, that's what Piper kept telling herself.

Her mind to preoccupied to be doing any real work on her crystals, Piper packed everything into her box and brought it inside. Picking out a book from the bottom of her pile and wrapping it in a towel, Piper went back outside and headed down the slope.

As she passed the increasingly fierce battle, Aerrow paused to call out a quick hello and ask where she was going.

"I'm going to take a bath!" she half-lied. Because she _**was**_ going to take a bath, but she had something else to do first. Besides, the cover of a bath would keep the boys well away from the cave's pool—it was only in the winter that they took the time to warm water to wash, and it was still considered warm enough to use the pool the bathe.

Reaching the poolside, Piper spread out her towel, laying her book and shoes on it to keep out the damp. Scrunching her toes, Piper allowed them to feel the cool rock beneath. Slowly filling her lungs, Piper began the beginner breathing and slow movement exercises she now knew off by heart. The pool was a perfect place to practice, away from the others and with the soothing sound of the running water.

Finishing her warmup, Piper opened her book on Sky Fu, flipping to a new set of practice position and exercises, happy to find that this group had a few kicks involved. She might not be ready to play with the boys yet, but when she was, she was going to kick butt!

**Lifeless words carry on **

Finn awoke to howling wind beating against fort, and he was appreciative of all the work they'd put in to reenforcing the outer walls. He knew if he opened the shutters on one of the windows, he'd get a face full of snow—he'd tried it earlier that evening—from the blizzard that had been battering their little terra for over a day.

Looking over his shoulder, Finn could make out Aerrow, Radarr and Piper in the dull light. They were all still asleep, huddled together by the fire to stay warm. They'd had a lot more nights like this the previous winter, before the forts renovations and enhanced insolation. But on nights like this, when a storm thrashed the world outside, they were forced to move their beds together and share body heat.

Glancing towards the fireplace, Finn saw that the fire was only glowing embers now. No wonder he'd woken up! The heat in the room was dying fast. The others would probably wake up soon as well. As much as he wanted to wait for one of the others to wake up so he wouldn't have to leave the warmth of his blanket to stoke the fire, Finn decided that he would heat up a lot quicker if he did it himself.

The air bit at his skin as he slipped out from under his quilt. Going as fast as his shivering body would allow, Finn rushed from the wood pile to the fire. Throwing two large logs on the dying flames, he practically dived back under the covers.

Curling his blanket tightly around him, Finn could feel the heat radiating from Aerrow, who slept soundly beside him. Finn moved closer to the redhead, feeling no remorse in steeling as much heat from the other boy as possible. Aerrow never seemed to be as cold as the rest of them—excluding Radarr, but the sky monkey had a _**fur coat**_, for Atmos' sake. Finn wasn't quite sure _**why**_ Aerrow seemed better off than Piper or himself. Maybe he was more sturdy or something. Really, Finn didn't really care what the cause was, as long as Aerrow stayed strategically placed in the middle of their huddles.

As warmth returned, Finn listened to the slow, steady breathing of his friends, his _**family**_. And he really did see them as his family now.

In the beginning, Finn had thought all of Aerrow's talk of them being a family were just stupid and empty words. Family were people who loved you unconditionally, and the only people who did that were related to you, because they were stuck with you. They had no choice!

But as the months and years passed, Finn was beginning to be a believer in Aerrow's optimism and fellowship. They really were like a family. They cared for each other, helped one another, they even annoyed one another. And no matter what happened, Finn knew that at the end of the day, his relationship with the others wouldn't be hurt or changed. No matter what he did, they would accept him for who he was—even Piper. And he knew that he felt the same way towards them—even Piper.

Sure, Finn still hadn't shared everything with them—not about his past nor his hidden personality—but he was trying. He had opened up to Aerrow about his nightmares and the past that haunted them. And the person he was now really wasn't the broken little boy who had once pretended to be his old self, because his old self was really returning. He wasn't trying anymore—not as hard, at least. He may never be truly open with the others, but he also knew they were not all truly open with him. Everyone had things they wanted to hide, or simply forget. And if there were any people in the Atmos who could understand that, it was the three lying next to him.

Finn was beginning to see that unconditional love didn't have conditions. Just because they weren't related, didn't mean that they couldn't care. And just because he had lost one family, it didn't mean that he couldn't find another. And he wasn't going to lose them this time. This family, after all, was one he intended on keeping.

**But I know all I know**

_Thick smoke and clouds of dust, produced by blazing fires and crumbling buildings, mingled in the air around them. The fine particles filled his nose and stung his eyes. Cries for help and orders to run blended with smashing glass and crashing timber. _

_The sights, sounds and smells overwhelmed Radarr, his mind was a jumble of thoughts. It wasn't much of a surprise that Aerrow sat stunned beside him, eyes misty and confused. Radarr tightened his grip on Aerrow's arm, his furry hand shaking in fear as he joined his friend in leaning against the remnants of their house. The sky monkey had only been able to drag the redhead this far from the rubble before the pair had collapsed._

"_Aerrow!" Radarr looked up to see the boy's mother appear through the smog, her eyes wide with terror._

_Radarr tried to chirp, but ended up coughing from the layer of dust that now lined his throat. Aerrow's mother spotted them quickly anyway and ran towards the pair. Her knees gave out from relief just as she reached them and she dropped to the ground in front of them. As she pulled boy and sky monkey into a tight embrace, Radarr could feel the sobs shaking her body._

"_Mommy, what's happening?" Aerrow sounded even more small and lost that he looked._

_His mother didn't answer, she was too busy examining her son for any injuries. Her fingers lingered on his ruby locks—just like his father's, she'd always said—as she ran them over the boy's head._

_The intensity of their situation was brought back into clear focus as the ground shock violently and the house next to them burst into flames._

"_Fire! Fire! Someone, get some water!" a man who Radarr barely recognized as their neighbour cried from a few strides away._

_Giving Aerrow another quick hug, his mother stood, "Run Aerrow!" she ordered before turning to what was left of their house._

"_But Mommy, you have to come too!" Aerrow cried, grabbing the woman's skirt._

"_Fire! Isn't anyone going to help?" their neighbour was sobbing now, and Radarr tried to block out the screams of agony coming from the burning home._

_Aerrow's mother turned back to her son. Bending down to meet the boy eye to eye, she reached out to grip Aerrow's shoulders. The woman's eyes softened as she attempted a reassuring smile._

"_I'll be right behind you, Aerrow. I need to find the others." She was talking about his brother and sister. They had been inside the house as well—were still inside the house._

"_But—" Aerrow tried to protest._

"_No buts, Aerrow. Take Radarr and GO!" his mother ordered._

_Before rising once more, she kissed the top of Aerrow's head. _

"_I love you." she stated fervidly, before turning and giving Radarr a peck on the check. "Look after him, Radarr." she whispered to the sky monkey as she pulled away._

_Radarr felt tears threatening to fall, but he wiped them away with the back of his paw. He had to be strong and do what he was asked. So he caught Aerrow's hand tightly in his own and began to drag his protesting friend away from the destruction._

"_Wait, Radarr! Let go!" Aerrow wailed, trying to shake the sky monkey off, "No! I don't wanna go without Mommy!"_

_Aerrow was too tired to put up a fight for long, and when his mother disappeared from sight, he allowed Radarr to guide him through the debris. Glancing back, Radarr saw that he was having better luck than some._

_Another man was trying to force their grieving neighbour to leave, "Run! Get out of here you fool!" the man shouted as he tried to heft up the other from the ground._

_Leaving the desperate scene behind, Radarr pulled Aerrow towards the outskirts of town. The only thought in his head was to get away. He didn't care where to or how, but they had to get away. The further they went, the quieter it became. The silence was almost eery, and Radarr found himself straining to hear __**anything**__._

_As if answering his prayers, Radarr heard a rustling sound from a rooftop above. His head snapped upwards and he froze in surprise. Three large birds stared back at him, their feathers the deep blue of the night sky, their wings tips the retreating sun. Short seconds felt like years as the birds turned to look at each other and then back at the pair below them. Then they dropped._

_Radarr and Aerrow let out cries of surprise as the gigantic birds swooped towards them. They opened their wings at the last moment, one grabbing Radarr around the middle while the others took Aerrow by the shoulders, and flew off. _

_Radarr shut his eyes and waited for the bird's claws to pierce his skin, but the fatal blow never came. When he finally collected enough courage to peek, Radarr found himself looking down at the ever-shrinking terra below. Turning his eyes up, the sky monkey spotted Aerrow only metres away. The boy didn't seem bothered by the birds at all. He actually appeared to be enjoying himself, his eyes wide with wonder at the landscape beneath them._

_They were almost out of sight of the terra when Radarr heard the roaring of skimmer engines. The birds accelerated, not seeming to like the machines. Radarr was quick to see why, as balls of energy shot passed them, one searing the fur on his tail. Their bearers swooped in all directions in their attempts to dodge the growing number of shots, but they soon became unavoidable._

_Radarr found himself free-falling in a tangle of limbs, wings, fur and feathers._

"RADARR!"

The sky monkey bolted upright. He felt lost for a moment, his sight hazy. As his vision cleared, Radarr found Aerrow sitting next to him on the bed they shared. His friend had a hand on his shoulder and concern in his eyes.

"You okay, buddy?" Aerrow asked, "I thought you were having a nightmare. I hope you don't mind that I woke you up."

Radarr gave the redhead a reassuring chirp, accompanying it with a smile for good measure.

"No more snacks for you before bed! This is twice this week." Aerrow said, giving the sky monkey a pat on the head before laying back down.

As he curled up next to his best friend, Radarr was glad Aerrow hadn't asked about his dream this time. He'd decided a long time ago that he wasn't going to tell Aerrow anything about their pasts. It was something the boy had to remember on his own.

* * *

**This is now officially the longest fanfiction I have ever written, and I'm not even half way through! :S**

**I definitely skipped through the seasons in this chapter, but the main point was to show the mindsets of the characters, so I think it's ok. And I'm sure you Radarr fans were happy to see something from his POV! And you can expect more in the coming chapters. (Stork will make an appearance in the next one, by the way).**

**I'd like to make a few comments on the chapter, and if you're not someone who's picky and stuck on details, you can stop reading now ;)**

**1) The Guardians (aka big birds) - these are NOT the Guardians we see in the "Origins" episode, since (from their dialogue) they have only just found Aerrow and the others. I'd like to think that the Guardians have always been keeping an eye out for those the "prophecy" (is that what they called it?) spoke of. I always remember (not quite sure, though) a comment that the four Guardians in the later episodes were the "only ones left", meaning there were more. So, these are three other Guardians who find Aerrow, but are unable to tell the others about him after (you can use your imaginations to think up why).**

**2) Skimmer flying - I know that in the "Origins" episode, the Storm Hawks have some trouble with flying the skimmers, but they DO seem to catch on pretty quickly. So, I'm going to say that the problems came from the skimmers being ones built for battle, while the one they're using now is just a regular traveling one (I'm not sure if there is actually a difference, but I'm going to pretend there is!)**

**3) Radarr's dream - for anyone who read "Hide and Seek", I did my best to use the dialogue from Aerrow's dream in chapter 3 of that story. I had to change it around a little so it flowed better, but all the important stuff is there. I added the nieghbour in after re-reading the dialogue and finding some phrasing that went together.**

**4) Piper's thoughts - Feminists don't kill me! (I'm a girl too!) Actually, I'm not sure if they're actually feminist or not.... I just think Piper would think herself too adult to play with the boys (even if she wanted too) and would make up excuses why not to. I recall her getting mad at the guys for rough-housing while she tried to do crystal experiments in a particular episode, so I tried playing off that a bit. I hope it doesn't come off bad :S**

**Anyway, if you're still reading, thank you! Please review with any comments, I love to read them!  
**


	8. Chapter 8: The End's Beginning

**As always, I'd like to start by saying a big Thank You to my reviewers: pluvia somnium, The Rose of the Rush, and WhispertheWolf!**

**Well, after a week of writing nothing at all, I was suddenly struck with a massive bout of inspiration on Sunday and after 2 _late_ evenings of writing, I have another chapter!**

**WhispertheWolf: The moment I read the word "skyride" in your review, it hit me that the generic word for flying machines in Storm Hawks is "skyride" and not "skimmer", which is where my confusion was routed! But since I don't really want to go back and replace "skyride" everywhere I used "skimmer", I hereby announce that "skimmer" means "skyride" in this fic! This should clear up my problems... I think ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Storm Hawks, nor the song "Shattered" by Trading Yesterday (even though I probably know the song better than the band now because I listen to the song on repeat every time I write this fic).  
**

* * *

Chapter 8: The End's Beginning

**Is that the end's beginning  
**

Stork kept running. He knew he was far away from Merbia by now—far away from the Cyclonians—but he just couldn't get his feet to stop moving. So, he continued to sprint through the Wastelands, jumping over boulders and lava while dodging the monstrous beasts that lunged at him openmouthed. On any other occasion, Stork would be freaking out—it was a deadly world out here, after all—but he had more pressing matters that needed his attention.

How had he not been prepared? He'd done his research, thought he'd been ready for anything! No epidemic would have touched him. He'd stockpiled medicine and cures for all known—and even some unknown—diseases, as well as had a cupboard dedicated to the antidotes for all venoms and stings. His home had been proofed for every natural disaster imaginable. Not floods, nor wind, nor hail, or even flying debris would have gotten through his thick defence. Why, he'd even been fortified against the odd meteor shower!

Of all the inevitable dooms he had contrived, why had an Cyclonian invasion not been one of them? How had he not imagined an evil army surrounding his home and forcing him under siege? Stork couldn't help the smug smile that twisted across his face when he remembered his weather proofing had proven to be Cyclonian proofing as well. But the Talons had been annoyingly persistent, and his emergency merb cabbage supply had only lasted a few weeks. Stork now had a new appreciation for the secret escape passage he'd had installed in his basement.

_BONK!_

Stork suddenly found himself staring up at the dangerously dark clouds overhead. He sat up slowly, rubbing his now aching nose. He glared up at the massive hunk of metal that had ceased his procession.

"Who would leave a ship _**here**_ of all places," he grumbled darkly, all too used to talking to himself, "Probably just parked it here to get in my way. Yup, someone's definitely out to get me. I'm doomed. All that running for noth—"

The merb paused, eyes bulging as they surveyed the airship, "It couldn't be." he muttered. Oh, but it _**was**_.

"The Condor!" Stork practically swooned with joy at the sight of the Storm Hawks emblem on its hull.

The merb zipped around the ship's exterior, soaking in every inch of the sight before him. "I've read so much about it, but in _person_, it's even more big, beautiful, _**gorgeous**__—_" he touched the end of the rudder only to have it fall to the ground with a definite _THUD_ "—broken."

Stork sighed in frustration, eyeing the fallen piece as if it was his mortal enemy. His disappointment was short-lived, however, as he realized that the situation was actually _**better**_ than he could have imagined. A grin crawled across his lips as he began to chuckle—slightly manically—as he rubbed his palms together.

"I can fix it!" Stork said excitedly, walking up the ramp to the open hatch, "And improve on the original design, of course. Yes, yes... Add a few upgrades. Increase the power of the blaster array, improve the autopilot, oh, and some cup-holders would be nice. And an ejector seat. You _**always**_ need an ejector seat."

Opening a side door, Stork was pleased to see some of the skimmers were still in decent condition, "Great! I can use one of these to get materials." He nodded happily to the ship, patting the wall affectionately "I'll need to make some booby-traps too. Can't have any Cyclonians getting near you, can we?"

As he made his way to the bridge—he'd set the blueprints to memory long before—the merb couldn't help but inquire aloud, "I wonder where the key to the ship is...?"

**Who I am from the start **

Junko sighed in boredom as he gazed out his bedroom window to the bustling street below. A large airship dipped just above the rooftops, its blood-red emblem burning in the light of the retreating sun. The ship headed towards the new airstrip, brushing the tips of a few trees before disappearing from sight as it continued its descent.

More new arrivals. Junko hoped there would be wallops this time. He and his mother were the only wallops here among a majority of humans and a small minority of raptors. Every child his own age that Junko had approached so far had just run away in terror. Lonely and bored, Junko was beginning to miss the teasing and taunts of his former playmates.

Junko didn't hold onto too much hope in the arrival of other wallops, though. _**He**_ hadn't heard about the Cyclonian Colonization Project until his mother had announced just over a week ago that she was taking him and moving to one of Cyclonia's recently acquired terras. She and his father had argued constantly until the moment they'd left, and his only parting words were a gruff _good riddance _as he slammed the door in their faces. Junko wasn't naive enough to think his father would ever be joining them in their new home.

Not liking the dark turn his thoughts had taken, Junko lumbered down the stairs in search of something to amuse himself with. Worming his way through the piles of unpacked boxes that littered the front room, the young wallop headed for the telltale clanks coming from the kitchen. Leaning against the doorframe, he watched his mother place plates and utensils in their respective cupboards and drawers.

Turning, his mother gave a grunt of surprise as she spotted her son. Raising a hand to massage her forehead, she sighed, "_**Goodness**_, Junko. Must you move around so quietly? Always startling me..." the rumble of her voice was rougher than usual. Junko knew she was tired.

"Can I help?" Junko asked hopefully, walking over to peer into the large, open box.

His mother gave a small smile, but it didn't reach her eyes, "Not right now. Why don't you go out and play? I'll call you if I need any help."

Not wanting to be a bother, Junko simply nodded and headed for the door. He was trying his best to please his mother. He knew she'd moved here so he could have a new start. She'd told him on the trip here that all the children would be new and needing to make friends, and he'd be able to make some who weren't wallops so his size wouldn't matter. She'd said being different on their new terra was okay, because everyone would be different. Junko hadn't had the heart to tell her that all the kids he'd met so far were scared of him.

Closing the door behind him, Junko started down the dusty street, heading in the direction he'd seen the airship travel not long before. He'd seen a junkyard somewhere around their on the flight in. Maybe he could find something to add to his collection.

Everything here was new. The smell of freshly cut wood and drying paint filled the air. It was a toxic, heady scent that Junko couldn't decide if he liked or disliked. A rumble—be it from construction or the near constant arrival and departure of airships—seemed to vibrate through the entire terra, mixing harmonically with the lively chatter of its new residences.

The whole place was just so full of _**life**_. To think that people would have abandoned such a wonderful place! The information pamphlet about the Colonization Project had said the people who previously lived here had burned down their town before leaving, just in spite of the Cyclonians. If they'd agreed to the Cyclonians' terms of peace, nothing would have changed. Instead, they had left a path a destruction in their wake. Junko just couldn't make sense of it all.

But what did a kid like him have to worry about politics and stuff like that anyway? All that mattered was that the Talons now ruled the terra and were letting them give it new life. They were builders, not destroyers, the pamphlet had said. Junko liked that.

As he entered the town square, Junko noticed a group of children gathered around the community message board. Most of the kids were older than himself—although he was no smaller—and didn't seem bothered with him squeezing into the clump to see what they were all looking at.

The poster was large and colourful. It showed three young people adorned in Cyclonian uniforms and standing at attention, a hand raised in a salute. Two skimmers flew in the background, a large Cyclonian flag flapping between them. HELP CREATE A NEW WORLD, the poster read, JOIN THE CYCLONIAN YOUTH TODAY!

"Sounds awesome." one kid commented, another nodding in agreement.

Over the excited chatter around him, Junko heard a loud "Hey, wallop!"

Junko turned to see a broad redhead walking towards him, "You gonna join? You wallops are tough, right? You can be in a squad with us." The boy pointed to his gangly friend beside him, "Whadda ya say?"

Junko just gawked at the pair for a moment, shocked. Never before in his life had he been picked out of a crowd for something _**good**_. Yet here before him stood two boys who _**noticed**_ him and _**wanted**_ him as a teammate, a friend.

What else would Junko say but, "Yes!"

**Take me home to my heart**

"Must you constantly be so _**stupid**_?" Piper asked her bedridden friend with a huff as she placed a dampened cloth on Finn's feverish forehead.

So, sliding down the snowy embankment headfirst on his stomach in nothing but his underwear hadn't been the best idea he'd ever had. But it was _**nothing**_ that warranted Piper calling him stupid! Anyway, the adrenaline rush had been _**awesome**_.

"Radarr does it _**all the time**_, and you don't call _**him**_ stupid." Finn countered, never missing an opportunity to rattle the girl's nerves.

"He's got a _**fur coat**_, for crying out loud!" Piper groaned, but the response didn't have its usual fire.

Confused, Finn caught one of Piper's hands as she finished pulling another layer of blankets up to his chin. Piper glared down angrily at the boy, but he still saw it. There, behind the irritation that swirled in her golden gaze, was unmistakable concern.

Piper was swift to pull her hand away. Standing, she made her way to the water barrel to refill the glass she'd been making him drink from periodically. Finn watched her with eyes droopy with exhaustion.

"You don't have to worry," he reassured, "I'll be fine."

He caught her pause—lasting only a fraction of a second—her body stiffening to a halt before resuming its task. "I'm not worried." she answered, a little too haughtily, keeping her back to him.

"Well... good. You shouldn't be." Finn cringed inwardly at his lame response, averting his eyes from the girl's back in the awkward silence that followed.

Glass filled, Piper returned to her spot next to Finn's bed. Curling her legs up, she wrapped her arms around herself and laid her head on her knees. Finn watched her out of the corner of his eye, but Piper kept her gaze locked on the door. Finally, the silence seemed to get to her, and she sighed lightly.

"Aerrow and Radarr should be back soon." she commented.

Finn nodded, humming his agreement. The pair had been gone for a few hours now, sent to look for some plants and herbs from their limited knowledge of homemade medicines—mostly obtained from one of Piper's books. It was highly unlikely that they would find anything—it being the dead of winter and all—but they'd insisted that they at least _**try**_. Finn felt guilt twist his stomach at the thought of his friends braving the freezing cold because of his foolhardiness.

"They really shouldn't be out there." Piper muttered, "I'll have all three of you sick in bed by the time this is all over."

Finn wondered momentarily if Piper could read minds. Could she possibly be making him feel even more guilty _**accidentally**_?

"Sorry." Finn said sincerely.

Piper sighed again, "It's okay. You really can't help that you're an idiot, can you?"

Finn decided to leave the question rhetorical.

As one silent moment drifted into another, Finn closed his eyes. He might as well try to get some sleep while it was quiet.

The next conscious thought he had was the realization that the cool relief of the cloth had once again been removed from his searing skin. He felt fingers graze against his forehead, but they were wrenched away quickly—probably because of the heat that radiated from the spot. There was a splash of water, the _drip drip _of the excess being rung back into the bowl. Then Finn felt the soothing chill of the wet cloth wiping away the sweat that rolled down his face. The cloth's movements were not smooth, but twitched back and forth. Her hands must be shaking, Finn realised.

And as delicate fingers brushed his bangs aside to return the cloth to its original place, Finn knew it was her—was _**certain**_ it was her. For how many times had she done that exact gesture as she leaned down to give him a goodnight kiss?

Finn opened his eyes, and for a moment he saw her, her golden hair shimmering in the firelight like the halo she so deserved, her perfect features curved into a gentle smile.

"Grace?"

But his call seemed to break the spell. His hazy sight sharpened and his sister faded. The shining sun turned to midnight blue as the smile melted into a worried frown.

"Gra—" a sob caught in Finn's throat and he couldn't stop the tears that cascaded down his burning cheeks. "She's gone." he reminded himself, "They're all gone."

"_Shhh_," Piper soothed, slowly stroking his head, "It's okay, Finn. You're not alone. I'm here."

Finn wondered for a second time if Piper had mind reading abilities. But then he remembered that she had been through just as much as he had—a fact he often forgot. She not only understood the constant, underlying fear of being left alone again, but she _**felt**_ it too. And as Piper continued to brush her hand atop his messy hair, Finn was struck by how the petit girl really did resemble his sister, how similar his relationships with the two really were.

His antics had always grated on Grace's nerves, just like they did Piper's, and although Piper could be a bit more blunt and harsh, Grace had given him many a tongue-wagging that could rival the younger girl's scoldings. Both were intelligent and mature beyond their years, tragedy forcing the worries and responsibilities of adulthood onto their small shoulders. But both were also strong and stubborn, not asking for help, even when it was needed. Yet, Piper, just like Grace, had a gentle, caring side that emerged when others' sorrow and weakness emerged.

It was then that Finn realized how Piper had come to fill part of the massive void Grace left behind. It had been so gradual, like a trickle of water filling a dam, he hadn't noticed until it was nearly full. But that didn't make the revelation any less true or surprising. All this time, he had been slowly coming to see Piper as a sister.

As slumber claimed him once more, Finn couldn't help but let a grin curve across his face. After all, being her brother, it was his privilege—no, his _**duty**_—to continue to annoy Piper out of her mind.

* * *

**I know what you're thinking: _FINALLY_, she put Stork in here! Actually, I'd planned on him coming in at this exact moment from the beginning because the line "The End's Beginning" just suits him and him doominess (I think I've just created a new word) all too well! Actually, that's why I used that line for the title of this chapter! Usually, I use the one that most suits all the parts of the chapter, but I wanted to celebrate Stork's entrance! **

**Speaking of Stork, how did he turn out? He's the character I have the least practice in writing. I just can't seem to write Stork without some underlining humor and sarcasm... Maybe it's because I've always found him the funniest character on Storm Hawks. Oh well, some humor is needed in all this sadness I've been writing. Actually, this chapter was relatively happy, compared to the others!**

**A note on the Cyclonian Colonization Project: Anyone catch my hints of it in the last chapter or so? You see, Junko gave me one of the biggest dilemmas of this entire fic! First of all, he joins the Cycloninan Youth with a group of kids who aren't wallop, which would be hard to do if he was actually living on Terra Wallop. Also, when the Storm Hawks visited Terra Wallop in "A Wallop of all Seasons", Junko didn't got visit his family or anything (we didn't even get to see Uncle Dilly!) So, a strained relationship with his father and living on a different terra with his mother seemed to bring all this together nicely. I have taken some creative license in assuming that the wallops had relations to the Cyclonians before that in the series, but I think it is a good possibility. And as for the "pamphlet", it was sort of inspired by a series I watched a few months ago on propaganda used during WWII by many different countries and how it effected the people who lived in various countries and their world view. Very interesting, and proved useful here!**

**And my final note in on poor Finn. _Man_ am I mean to the kid :S I started writing that part knowing I wanted to show how Finn was coming to see Piper as a sibling (I've always considered Finn and Piper's relationship in the series very brother/sister). I decided some lone Piper/Finn interaction would be interesting, since I haven't written anything like that before, so this scenario came about. The part where Finn's feverish mind mistakens Piper for Grace totally came out of nowhere. Really, I had no intentions on increasing the suffering, but it just seems to happen :S**

**Anyway, if you've actually read this long author's note (2nd one in a row, better not make this a habit), thank you for your interest and please feel free to leave your thoughts and criticisms in a review! Thanks again for reading!  
**


	9. Chapter 9: All This Time Spent In Vain

**I can't say how wonderful it felt to get all those reviews on the last chapter, and to have so many new reviewers too! As always, I thank you: WhispertheWolf, Crimson Fox4, The Rose of the Rush, pluvia somnium, DancingSpy, Midnight-Rose-Dew, and Fire Queen Tiffy.**

**To Fire Queen Tiffy: After your comment about this story being way better than the summery, I went back and changed it again. Does it seem more appetizing now? Also, you think I'm being too hard on Aerrow? Everyone else says I'm different for being easier on him than some other characters... have you read "Hide and Seek"? He's definitely better off in that one!**

**As I've said before, this fic can be split into two sections: The first in which I tell events from the past, and the second in which I connect those events to ones that occurred during the series. After this chapter, there are two more left in the first section. My goal is to have the first section complete and posted by the end of the month, because I'm gone away all July and expecting to be very busy! So, wish me luck!**

**And finally, something I've been meaning to mention for three chapters now (I keep forgetting): I came across another Imogen Heap song not too long ago called "Wait It Out", which is just as haunting and beautiful as "Hide and Seek". If I'd found it sooner, I probably would have used it for this fic instead of "Shattered." I may still be inspired to write something to go with the song though... Anyway, I encourage you to check it out!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Storm Hawks or the song "Shattered" by Trading Yesterday.  
**

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Chapter 9: All This Time Spent In Vain

**Let me go and I will run  
**

It was early spring when they finally came.

Blades of grass had just begun poking through the quickly decreasing layer of snow, and Piper was looking forward to tilling the soil of the garden to plant this years crop. She and Aerrow cheerfully discussed the skimmer ride he and Finn had planned for the next day as they prepared the evening meal. Finn and Radarr had been sent to the cave to pick through their dwindling food supply. The pair had been gone a good fifteen minutes and Piper was considering going down to drag the dawdlers back when boy and beast burst through the door.

"What's wrong?" Aerrow asked, immediately noticing his friends' wide, fearful eyes.

The newcomers didn't stay long enough to answer. Before Piper could blink, they were scrabbling up the ladder to the next floor. Only stopping to share a confused look, Piper and Aerrow chased after their friends, who didn't stop at the second floor, but continued on to the roof.

Piper was the last to pull herself into the willow's branches. The chilly evening air hit her as she moved to stand beside the others. A light breeze rattled the tree around them, but the new buds did little to block the horrifying scene that was coming into view.

It was an airship. Not one of the regular cargo ships, but a battle cruiser. It was large, decorated with Cyclonian colours and insignia, and heading straight for their little terra. The ship was still a ways off, but it was approaching at speeds Piper had never seen before.

She stood there on the roof, stunned like the others. Her mind was unable to process what was happening. It felt like a dream—some horrible nightmare. They had known a ship would see them eventually, no matter how small and far off they were. But never in her wildest imaginings had Piper fathomed that a warship would penetrate their sanctuary with guns locked and loaded.

Aerrow was the first to react.

"We have to get out of here!" he shouted.

Radarr responded immediately, scampering back down the ladder to the main room. The others not complying fast enough for his taste, Aerrow shoved Finn towards the hatch door before grabbing Piper's wrist and dragging her in the same direction. Piper's arms and legs acted on their own accord as they brought her down the ladder, Aerrow's shouts of _hurry!_ the only thing to push through the clouds of confusion in her head.

The second her feet touched solid ground, Piper found herself being pulled forcefully by Aerrow's tight grip once again. He lead her outside, Finn and Radarr hot on their heels. The four friends were halfway down the embankment when the first blast rocked the ground beneath them. Aerrow's steading hand was the only thing that stopped Piper from rolling headfirst down the hill. Finn, however, lost his balance and tumbled down, his limbs flailing like a doll's. In the seconds it took for the others to reach the fallen boy at the bottom, he was already pushing himself to his feet, only a few scratches and stains to show from his ordeal.

The battleship swooped overhead, the downdraft flicking dirt into the children's eyes and tearing at their clothes. It didn't appear to acknowledge their presence, but simply turned back towards the lone dwelling. Piper tripped and stubbled, but she didn't take her eyes of the ship as it let out another round of fire on their home. But there was no massive explosion or blinding light, as Piper had excepted, just dust and falling walls. The girl then realized that the Cyclonians were not using crystals, but plain _**rock**_. The shaking ground had not been from explosions, but from the mere force of the boulders hitting the floating island. Their destruction wasn't even worth wasting crystals.

Piper turned her gaze forward as the companions reached the rocky outcropping. There had been no question to where they were going. The cave was the safest place any of them could think of. They were almost at the entrance when the terra rocked under them once more, sending all four to the stones below.

Aerrow's fingers still encircling her wrist, Piper was pulled down atop the boy. Both cried out in pain as Piper's forehead collided with Aerrow's jaw. Huddled together, they clung to each other and waited until the ground stopped moving, every second feeling like eternity.

"You okay?" Aerrow asked as he sat up, bringing the girl with him.

Piper's nod was all the redhead needed to pull them both to their feet and sprint the short distance to the cave. Finn and Radarr were already there, crouching near the entrance so they could peer around the rock wall to watch the battle cruiser's movements.

Piper collapsed next to the pair. Fear gripped her, lining her petite frame with a layer of cold sweat and causing her hands to shake uncontrollably. She clasped her hands in a desperate attempt to stop their quivering, but it only seemed to make it worse.

Her hazy mind tried to comprehend the situation, but it was all too much for Piper. It was all to familiar, too painful. A quick glance at Finn's chalky complection told her he felt the same. She reached out to the blonde, holding his trembling hand in her own, knowing they were both trying to keep the horrors of their memories at bay and locked safely were they couldn't haunt them.

Aerrow not having joined them on the ground as she'd expected, Piper turned her wide eyes upwards. The boy stood stiff, just outside cave's mouth were he had a full view of the destruction. His fists, clenched at his sides, were shaking, but Piper knew it was not from fear.

Aerrow's eyes were a molten mix of steel and fire.

**I will not be silenced **

How _**dare**_ they. What gave the Cyclonians the right to destroy their lives _**again**_, and just when they'd finally found some normality? What was there to gain from levelling one tiny home? From taking over one little terra?

Aerrow's mind raced with unending questions that had no logical answers. He could feel the heat of anger rising within him, his whole body shaking with the intense emotion. Fury overwhelmed the boy as he quickly glanced towards his companions. They sat on the cold rock, wide eyed, shivering, _**scared**_. They didn't want much, only the chance to live their lives in peace and security. What had they done to deserve _**this**_?

Nothing. The simple answer came suddenly. It filled him, totally consumed him.

Nothing. _Nothing. __**Nothing!**_

These horrible, _**evil**_ people had no right to turn their world upside down once again. He couldn't—wouldn't—just stand by as his friends relived the terror. The Cyclonians were _**not**_ going to tear apart his family again.

Without a second thought, Aerrow dashed into the cave to where they kept all their supplies. Rummaging through Piper's crystal collection, he found the bag she'd labelled _Dangerous_ with a big, red _X_ and headed back outside.

Aerrow stopped for a moment when he returned to the fresh, chilly air. His emerald eyes did a quick scan of the area and he saw exactly what he was hoping for. The skimmer and its hut were still intact. So the boy ran towards the awaiting flying machine. He wasn't quite sure what he was going to do, but Aerrow was determined to stop this attack on their home.

The fiery redhead wasn't halfway across the rock outcropping when a weight collided with his back, coming dangerously close to toppling him face-first into the dirt. Snapping his head back, Aerrow could see wild, midnight blue hair and shaking shoulders. It wasn't until he felt her grip tighten that Aerrow realized Piper had her arms wrapped around him.

"Piper, let me _**go!**_" he growled, trying to release her fingers that held the front of his shirt in tight fists.

Piper only shock her head, face buried into his back. Aerrow could feel her tears soaking through to his skin.

"I'm not letting them ruin everything for you again!" Aerrow declared, struggling to walk forward as he dragged the girl along with him.

"Aerrow, _**stop**_!" Finn sounded closer than Aerrow expected. Soon, the blonde was also holding him back, his hands in a death grip around Aerrow's left elbow. Aerrow tried to shake him off, trashing his arms around violently as he continued to try to move forward.

"It's not worth it," Finn's voice was urgent, pleading. "That ship's _**massive**_, Aerrow. What can you do to stop it? We've lost enough already. We don't want to lose you too."

Radarr—who'd wrapped himself around Aerrow's right leg during Finn's short speech—chirped in agreement. The boy glared down to meet his best friend's large, emotional eyes. He and the sky monkey shared a gaze for a moment. Radarr's eyes were not filled with the worry or fear Aerrow thought he'd find, but shone with a determination he had never seen before. Knowing his friends were right and he had no real chance of fighting them off—let alone a Cyclonian battle ship—Aerrow sighed in defeat, the fighting blaze fading from his eyes.

And so the four friends went back to the cave, not turning to witness the cruiser's final barrage before it flew off back the way it came. And as he sat against he cave wall—Finn silent beside him, Radarr shaking in his lap and Piper sobbing into his shoulder—Aerrow wondered and worried about the anger that still boiled inside him and what it might someday drive him to do.

**All this time spent in vain **

"_**Why**_ must you taunt me like this?" Stork cried, giving the key hole his best puppy-dog pout. The empty crevasse, however, was not impressed. It just stared back with the same indifference it always had.

"I've looked _**everywhere**_ on the bridge, but I can't find your blasted key!" Stork tried to explain to the impassive piece of metal, but it was unmoved.

"_**Fine!**_" Stork countered haughtily, "If you won't tell me where it is, I'll just find it myself! But don't think I'll be sending any disinfectant spray _**your**_ way anytime soon. You'll be so germ-ridden and disgusting that _**no one**_ will ever want to touch you again!"

Feeling he'd made his point, Stork stormed out of the room. Not hearing the satisfying _THUD_ of the automatic door closing, Stork sighed, physically deflating. Grumbling darkly, he turned back to inspect the problem. The door had been a constant problem since he'd first installed it and he wasn't in any mood to work on it for another few hours. However, a few choice words and a solid kick seemed to put everything back in order and the merb was soon on his way.

Stork wasn't sure where he should look next. If he were a key, where would he be hiding? The merb decided to take a slight detour as he pondered that particular question, heading for his emergency storage room.

Undoing the five padlocks that would keep out most unwanted visitors, Stork opened the door and slipped inside. He'd been slowly replenishing his supplies over the past few months. He was pleased to see his crates of merb cabbage were piled almost to the ceiling, and he now had three gas masks, plus ten oxygen tanks, lined against the opposite wall. The most prized part of Stork's collection, however, was his shelf of sprays and disinfectants. With that stack of aerosol cans, he had the means to prevent almost any disease that he'd ever heard tale of.

He'd look in the living quarters, Stork decided as he resecured the room. Maybe one of the Storm Hawks had kept it in their room. It was a long shot, but Stork had no better ideas at the moment.

Stork had never entered any of the bedrooms before. The closest he'd got was the day after he'd arrived, when he'd opened every door and done a quick scan or each room to make sure the design in his memory was correct. Stork felt kind of strange going through other people's personal belongings, and he really had no interest in any of it, unless it had something to do with the Condor or his imminent doom.

Stork decided to start in the room that had belonged to the Storm Hawks' former leader and sky knight. He recalled reading somewhere that squadrons were inherited (or was it infested?), so it would make the most sense to find the key hidden in there somewhere... or maybe he was totally mistaken and would walk into some trap and meet his end. Either way, this probably wasn't a good idea.

Opening the door to the first bedroom as cautiously as he could, Stork used a broom he'd picked up on the way to tap the floor ahead of him—just in case. When nothing drastic happened, Stork allowed himself to take a better look at the room. It was nothing special, fairly bare, really. The few pieces of furniture were sprawled about—as expected from the ship having dived into the wastelands—and everything was covered in a layer of dust. Taking out his trusty surgical mask, Stork snapped the elastics around his ears. That should keep most of the dirt and germs out of his lungs for now (he made a note to eat some extra vitamins later).

And so Stork's search began. He looked in drawers, under blankets, and behind furniture, using his broom to poke everything before touching it himself. Soon, the layer of dust was a fog in the air, like snow picked up by a blizzard's wind. Trying to escape the chocking cloud, Stork stood on the bed, jabbing the ceiling with the broom accidentally as he jumped up.

To the merb's surprise, one tile came loose rather easily. Intrigued, Stork moved the piece of ceiling aside and carefully stuck his head up through the gap. His excitement grew when he spied a wooden box jammed between two pipes. Reaching up with lanky arms, Stork grabbed the box in his nimble fingers and brought it down to sit on the bed beside him. It was a beautiful piece of work, with intricate carvings of various birds and flowers etched skilfully into the polished wood.

It looked very important, so Stork determined that it must be. The only thing he could think of that was important enough to be kept in a box like this was the key to the ship! What else could be inside? So the merb gently removed the lid and peeked in.

He was highly disappointed.

The box held only photos, letters and old pieces of paper. What sort of treasure was this? Why would such simple things need to be hidden so well? Maybe they held some horrible secret about the end of the world! But a quick glance of the photos showed only smiling faces and the letters described only mundane events.

Sighing in dissatisfaction, Stork returned to box to the exact place he'd found it. It wasn't any of **_his_** business why someone had hidden it, but if someone thought it should, well, he wasn't going to go against their wishes. Especially if that someone were dead. He really wasn't in the mood for some agitated ghost to start haunting him because he didn't replace a box properly.

Grumbling to himself about ghosts and doom and stupid, mysterious boxes, Stork moved on to the next room. Maybe it would be the carrier pilot's. There would be a good chance of finding the ship's key there... or maybe his death. It could go either way, a fifty-fifty chance, really.

"We're doomed." the merb sighed dramatically to the ship.

**Wasted years, wasted gain **

Students poured out of the school at the sound of the bell, happy to be another day closer to summer vacation. They still had a good few weeks of waiting ahead, Junko realized, as he stepped outdoors into the frosty air of early spring and made his way towards the street. He shivered, glancing back at his bulging backpack and contemplated taking out the sweater his mom had insisted he bring this morning. But remembering how the guys had teased him over the home-knitted garment, the sweater stayed securely hidden.

"Hey, Junko!" hearing the familiar bark, the wallop sighed before turning around and heading to the clump of boys loitering around one corner of the building.

Junko was the youngest of the group, but for most of the older boys, his height and brawn seemed to make up for the age difference. For those who thought differently, Junko was someone bigger than them of whom they were superior and could boss around. Junko willingly accepted authority and always eagerly performed any task given to him. He was just happy that the gang saw him as one of their own. And although they were known as a ruff crowd, Junko always received respect and awe from his peers when they discovered he was one of them.

As he approached, the mob moved aside to reveal their ringleader, who Junko had come to know as Grimsley. The stocky ginger was leaning casually against the brick wall, arms crossed and eyes lazy.

"Where you goin'?" he grunted, addressing the young wallop. "We've got C.Y. later,"—for some reason, _Cyclonian Youth_ had never had the cool ring to it that Grimsley seemed to crave—"and we're not lettin' you skip off again today. They told us if our squad keeps up with the shitty attendance, then we can't start missions next year."

"I wasn't skippin' off." Junko defended, forcing his features to harden and making his voice sound deeper than it actually was, "I was just headin' home to pick somethin' up."

Grimsley eyed him cooly, seeming to ponder the excuse. Junko stood taller, cringing inwardly. There were certain airs that he had to put on when with the gang. He needed to appear and sound tough, or he could very quickly find himself with no one to hang around with. He knew he still didn't have the speech down—he never understood why they cut the ends off words—and knew this was what he was being judged on at the moment.

"Ok," Grimsley grunted, accepting the facade, "but you'd better be there on time."

With a curt nod, Junko turned heel and restarted his earlier journey home. He kept up the sturdy march until he was around the street corner and out of sight. Then, his demeanor deflated instantly. Sighing, he trudged along the road, kicking up dirt as he dragged his feet.

In truth, he wasn't all that into the C.Y. The only thing about it he enjoyed was that they each got their own peddle skimmer and he was allowed to tinker around with his (his junk collection had dwindled because of this). But recently, Grimsley had his crew training for missions and combat, and Junko had no time to trick out his ride. On top of that, Grimsley never did any of the work himself! He just sat back and barked orders—most of which were accomplished by Junko. If he had the option, Junko would quit the gang in a heartbeat.

But he didn't have that option. Grimsley's group was the closet thing Junko had ever had to friends, and their reputation meant making any friends after deserting nearly impossible. Being friendless didn't bother Junko that much—he had grown quite used to it, after all—but he couldn't break his mother's heart again. She was happy here, settled into her new life and thinking he was settled into his. He wasn't about to ruin her misperception.

"I'm home!" he called as he lumbered through the front door.

"You're early." his mom stated, poking her head out the kitchen door to give him a quizzical look, "Don't you have Cyclonian Youth today? Won't your friends miss you?"

"Just wanted to grab a snack before I go." Junko lied, because he'd lied to Grimsley earlier too, he had nothing to pick up at home—he'd been hoping to sneak off unnoticed.

"You're in luck!" his mother smiled, "I just made a new batch of cookies."

"Awesome!" Junko beamed, following his mother into the kitchen. The plate of cookies on the counter looked like charcoal and smelled like dirty socks. His mother was always trying out new recipes, and Junko always ate everything she cooked—and usually liked it.

Today was no different. "Yum! These taste great, mom." Junko said through a mouthful of food, grabbing two more treats before heading up to his room.

Throwing his backpack on his bed, Junko sat down beside it. Munching on his snack, he eyed the box that lay on his desk, contemplating it. Swallowing the last chunk of cookie, he stood, wiping the crumbs off his shirt. Striding across the room, he sat in his chair, placing the box on his lap.

He stared at the cardboard lid, eyeing the postage stamps and reading the send and return addresses. He'd broken the taped seal weeks ago, when he'd first received the package. It arrived the day after he'd come home from school to find his mother sobbing on her bed. She'd brushed it off, saying she wasn't feeling well, but Junko had seen the letter she'd been trying to hide.

He'd snuck into her room and read the letter while she was making dinner. It was from an aunt back on Terra Wallop that he couldn't remember and it held no pleasantries. According to the letter, his father had joined the Cyclonian army not long after they'd left. He'd been moving up ranks and doing quite well until about a month before, when he seemingly disappeared during a routine scouting mission. His mangled skimmer had been found in the wastelands a week later and he was pronounced MIA, assumed dead. Junko had stopped reading once his aunt started rambling on about how it was all his mother's fault that his father was dead, and he'd be home and happy if they had not left. Junko had heard enough of that to do him a lifetime and more.

Placing the box back on his desk, Junko opened it and removed its contents. Slipping the cool metal weapons onto his fingers, the young wallop smashed them together. They glowed bright, and Junko could feel the power they held, the strength they gave him. The note that had accompanied them explained that they were called Knuckle Busters and were family heirlooms, passed on from father to son for generations. Junko could tell by the clipped sentences and choppy writing of the note that his family was not pleased to be handing them over to him. But wallops held tradition in very high esteem and nothing would deter them from giving heirlooms to their true and rightful owner—albeit, many arguments may occur before that task was complete.

Junko knew that if he brought the Knuckle Busters to Cyclonian Youth with him, he would definitely move up the rankings. Grimsley would probably make him his right-hand-man and he would gain his _**own**_ respect.

But, as it had before, something inside Junko told him not to. He had this feeling that, one day, he'd find a proper use for his father's last gift and do some good. It didn't feel right, using something so important for his own benefit. So he returned the Knuckle Busters to their cardboard safe and placed it in a dark corner of his closet.

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**I hope this chapter was long enough to appease for the wait! I must say, I'm quite pleased with how this chapter turned out. I'm especially proud of my description of Aerrow's eyes (_a molten mix of steel and fire_) because I've been struggling with finding a good description for that look he gets when he's all serious and ready for battle.**

**I must admit, it was an unexpected injection of Junko and Stork! But since in this part of the fic I had lots of lyrics and little plot, and I got such a good response from Junko and Stork's parts in the last chapter, I figured I'd hit two birds with the one stone and help myself and my readers!**

**Stork's part was inspired by how totally crazed he was about not finding the Condor's key in "Origins". And then a little known device called foreshadowing decided to jump in halfway through (if any of you have read my oneshot "A Winter's Night", which is based in the middle of this fic, you'll probably know what I mean). Also, for some reason, Stork seems to have an odd relationship with inanimate objects in this fic, and I don't know why...**

**For Junko's part, I decided to go read up on him on the Storm Hawks website (I no longer trust the info on wiki, since some has blatantly tampered with it) and discovered that his Knuckle Busters are family heirlooms! That got me thinking: I don't remember seeing Junko's knuckle busters in "Origins", and I rewatched the episode and what would you know, they're NOT! So, I figured I'd find a reason for it! I was also intrigued by how Junko seems to change his voice when he talks to Grimsly and his gang in "Origins" , so I tried to add that in as well.**

**Anyway, I guess you're all tired of reading about my inspiration and odd observations, so I'll say thank you for reading and feel free to leave a review!  
**


	10. Chapter 10: This War's Not Over

**As always, I begin with a big thank you to my reviewers: The ever-faithful WhispertheWolf and pluvia somnium, and a new reader WishfulTrance, whom I hope they continue to enjoy reading past chapter 2!**

**Also, thank you WhispertheWolf for pointing out my mistake in spelling Grimsley's name. In truth, I totally guessed the spelling because I couldn't find it anywhere. I never thought of your bright idea of looking at the spelling in the credits! I'll keep that in mind in the future, could come in handy! I'll go back and fix the spelling in the last chapter asap!**

**Another _Whoops!_ As I was rewatching "Origins" (I've been doing that a lot lately, to get facts straight), I noticed that there is nothing at the end of terra that Finn, Aerrow, Piper and Radarr live on. I originally thought there was a cave or something there, because the gaurdians have a big, shadowy thing in the background, but I guess it may be a tree. But the tree isn't shown at the end of the terra either, so I think something got switched up, changed or forgotten in the animation processes. But I've not changing the story, if for the fact that the Storm Hawks needed _something_ to live of off. So, I blame the creators for not covering all their bases and forcing me to add something in! Although, I'm now a bit bothered that my facts stray from the actual show... of well, nothing I can do now.**

**And finally, I want to let my reviewers know (especially my faithful ones) that I have every intention of reading and reviewing some of your Storm Hawks fanfictions, but that unfortuntely won't be until this fic is complete. I'm not sure if any of you are in this boat, but I don't read any fanfiction from the same series I have an ongoing story in. This is because I pride myself on originality, so if I somehow end up writing something similar to another work, I can confidently say it was a total fluke! But don't worry, I've been 6 months now without reading any Storm Hawks fanfiction, so once I finish this, I'll definitely need my fix! I'm especially looking forward to reading other's versions of the Storm Hawks' pasts (which are probably much better and less tragic than mine)!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Storm Hawks, nor the song "Shattered" by Trading Yesterday. I am, however, extremely good at writing horribly long author's notes!  
**

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Chapter 10: This War's Not Over

**All is lost, hope remains **

Finn woke cold, with a stiff neck and aching back. He groaned as he rolled over, blinking sleep from his eyes as his mind tried to catch up with the rest of him. He had a moment of confusion, when his hazy vision focussed to reveal dark rock all around, brightened by the early morning light that shone through the gaping mouth of the cave. He didn't recall sneaking down here to avoid work and take a nap. It was odd too, that he couldn't hear Piper's shrill complaints that usually awoke him.

A soft snore broke the near silence and Finn turned in surprise. Aerrow and Piper sat asleep against the wall not a foot away, the girl using the boy's shoulder as a pillow and he her midnight locks. It was then that Finn remembered the evening before, when his friends' now soft and relaxed features were twisted—one in pain, the other in anger—as Piper sobbed uncontrollably, her face tucked into the crock of Aerrow's neck. Aerrow still held one of Piper's hands tightly in his own, their stiff grip the only evidence of the previous night's raging emotions.

Finn pulled himself to his feet and ran outside, needing to confirm his memories. He soon discovered that seeing really _**was**_ believing. Their home was in ruins. From where he stood, Finn could see that only the wall built up against the willow was still standing, and probably because the large trunk was holding it up. There were no signs of the upper floor, nor any defining shapes among the pile to debris.

Not wanting to see anymore, Finn turned back to the cave, his stomach grumbling for nourishment. He stopped for a moment when he came to his sleeping friends. They both looked cold—especially Piper, whose lips had a slight blue tint to them—and he wished he had a blanket to lay over them. But they were back—again—to having nothing, so Finn had to settle with brushing some of Piper's unruly hair away from her twitching nose.

He'd watched helplessly the night before as she cried herself to sleep, feeling useless. A quick glance at the pained look in both Aerrow and Radarr's eyes had told him they felt the same. Finn hadn't cried. In truth, he had been waiting for something like this to happen, almost expecting it. He'd had too many dreams that resembled this reality.

Not that he hadn't been sad, or scared. He'd shock with the fear. Oddly, it had mostly vanished after Aerrow's crazed defence mission that better resembled a suicide attempt. Finn had only felt numb after that.

Finn continued on towards the pool, knowing food and fresh water awaited him. He didn't make it there, however, because he met Radarr halfway. The sky monkey was trying to carry four wooden glasses of water and two tins of food in his arms while balancing a large bowl of berries on his head.

Finn couldn't help but laugh at what appeared to be some odd circus act. Radarr didn't seem to pleased at this and gave the blonde an annoyed glare, so Finn snatched the bowl off the creature's head and popped a few berries into his mouth. Radarr growled and Finn grinned. The normality of it was wonderful. This realization hit the boy like a slap in the face and he was awed by how easily they reverted back to routines and normalities. It felt so much different from before, when he was alone and everything had changed and become different.

Radarr led the way back to the cave's entrance, where the pair propped up against the wall were still snoring softly. After gulping down their glasses of water, they left all but one can beside their friends. Radarr was somehow able to open the tin with his teeth and the two took turns sipping on the cold soup preserved inside as they made their way up the hill. Finn wasn't quite sure why he'd suddenly become the sky monkey's shadow, but the boy really didn't have anything better to do, and he needed something to keep his mind busy.

Finn stopped a few strides from the wreckage of their home, not wanting to get any closer. He watched as Radarr carefully began to sift through the rubble, lifting boards and rocks out of the way while he stood on tiptoe to avoid stepping on any nails or pointy shards. Time didn't seem to exist as Finn watched Radarr search. The relative silence was broken only by Radarr's excited chirps when he came across something that was recognizable and in fairly good condition. First was the old radio the sky monkey was constantly fiddling with. Next, the story book Piper had read to them on dark nights. With each discovery, Radarr would make his way back over to Finn to show the boy what he'd found. It was the bundle in the sky monkey's arms on his third trip back that made Finn's heart stop momentarily.

Although it was dusty, tattered and in two pieces, Finn knew right away it was Grace's quilt. Radarr handed the patchwork to Finn with the care one would a baby, and the blonde cradled it in his arms as if it was. A shaky finger traced along the seam that held his favourite piece in place—a part of Grace's purple polka doted sundress. Finn blinked, trying to hold back the tears that stung his eyes.

"I can fix it for you, if you'd like."

Finn turned abruptly upon hearing Piper's offer. He'd been so focussed on the quilt, he hadn't heard her and Aerrow come up behind him. Piper had her hands on her knees, bent down to look over Finn's shoulder.

"A good wash and some thread and a needle can work wonders, you know." Piper continued, giving Finn a gentle half-smile.

"I guess it couldn't hurt," Finn said thoughtfully, a grin beginning to appear, "but with you, Piper, who knows. You might actually make it worse."

The girl straightened with an annoyed _humph_, crossing her arms over her chest. Finn caught Aerrow's soft chuckle and shaking head as the redhead whispered to himself, "_Some things never change, do they?_"

Finn found himself desperately hoping that they wouldn't, as Aerrow strode forward and called out to Radarr.

The sky monkey clambered over, jumping into his best friend's awaiting arms. "Thanks for all your hard work, Radarr," Aerrow said as he hugged the little blue creature.

"Yes," Piper added, looking at the small pile of belongings next to Finn, "You've really found a lot of stuff. Maybe it's not as bad as it looks!"

With a bright chirp of remembrance, Radarr moved to sit on Aerrow's shoulders as he rummaged through his pockets. After a few moments, his paw emerged holding what appeared to be two pieces of paper. Jumping down to the ground, the sky monkey held one up to Piper and the other to Finn.

The boy and girl shared a questioning glance before accepting the papers from a beaming Radarr. The pair gasped simultaneously. Each held their family photograph they'd kept on the mantle.

"Oh Radarr, _**thank you**_!" Piper's eyes brimmed with happy tears as she knelt to wrap the sky monkey in a tight embrace.

"Did you get those on the way out?" Aerrow asked, sounding impressed.

When Radarr nodded energetically, the redhead questioned, "How?"

The sky monkey started his charades, running in place as fast as he could.

"Yes, you must have been _**really**_ fast," Piper laughed, tousling the fur between Radarr's ears.

Looking at his friends smiling faces, Finn knew they'd be alright. Sure, they were faced with _**another**_ setback, but they'd all experienced this before and this time, they were together. Somehow, Finn knew if they could just keep smiling, even through the pain, there was no telling what they could do.

**And this war's not over **

Radarr sat high in the tree branches, surveying the small terra. The light dimmed in the shadow of a late summer thunderstorm that the sky monkey could feel approaching from behind him. The leaves seemed to ripple in slow motion in the telltale wind that blew the clouds towards their home. Below, Radarr heard the thuds and clanks of doors closing and latches being fastened.

Radarr knew he should go inside. He could smell the rain coming and was certain to be drenched in the impending downpour. But the fresh breeze was oddly comfortable, clearing his mind. He wanted a few more minutes alone, to think.

It had been a hard few months. They'd worked tirelessly on rebuilding the fort. By some miracle, the tree had suffered relatively minimal damage in the attack. The stone walls had taken most of the impact, so apart from some pieces of bark that were ripped off, the willow was strong and healthy. So they'd decided to reconstruct their home where the previous one had been.

Aerrow had been adamant in a change in design, and it hadn't taken much to win the others over. They'd started by building a high outer fence using stones, wood and steel. The only entry points were two gates that were firmly boarded for fortification. They'd built another platform up in the tree, but this one served more as an observatory tower, with walls that only came up halfway, so they could have a full view of the surrounding area at all times. The walls of the main building were twice a thick as before, with only a few windows that had equally thick shutters. Their carpentry skills improving, the group had even been able to make some basic furniture for their new home.

They had made good time, finishing all the major work on the fort just over a week ago. They had been extremely lucky that the skimmer hadn't been damaged—Radarr wasn't sure what they would have done if it had. It was now kept in the cave, along with Piper's books, notes and crystals. Although the boys felt safe enough to keep their belongings in the main building, Piper was still weary.

They had all been on edge for weeks, waiting for another attack to finish them off. They'd had a few lively discussions on the subject, and once Finn had told them about once hearing Talons talking about a "three-sweep policy" of invading Cyclonians and Piper had mentioned their attackers had only used stones, they'd decided that the destruction of their home had been for one of two reasons: Either the Cyclonians were trying to scare them away, or they didn't realize the terra was inhabited and were simply doing a sweep to clear away unwanted infrastructure. Whichever the reason, once the Cyclonians discovered their new construct, they would know that the terra _**had**_ inhabitants, and they had _**no**_ intentions of moving.

"Radarr!" the sky monkey looked down to see Aerrow's smiling face a few branches below.

Giving a chirp of recognition, Radarr hopped down to his friends awaiting shoulder.

"Hey buddy," Aerrow greeted, "Were you planning on staying out and getting soaked or something?"

Radarr shook his head, unable to stop the grin that spread across his face. The boy's joy and optimism had always been contagious, and for the past few weeks, so had his determination. He'd led them as he always had, emerald eyes unendingly bright. And the others seemed to be responding even better than ever before, more willing to share their fears and hopes, allowing Aerrow to comfort and encourage.

But Radarr had caught the light leaving Aerrow's eyes, when the boy thought he was alone. The sky monkey always made sure to give the redhead a big hug at times like that, and Aerrow always brightened immediately. It saddened Radarr to see Aerrow's sparkling innocence being replaced by a dull weariness. He wasn't a little child anymore.

Radarr felt an odd foreboding as lightning began to shoot across the sky, followed soon after by rumbling thunder. The sky monkey paused just outside the door as he caught the outline of a large bird illuminated against the murky clouds. Radarr shivered, somehow knowing this was a sign of more hardships to come.

**There's a light, there's the sun **

Junko watched the four companions working diligently in their small vegetable garden. The girl seemed the most intent on picking the crop, her determined gaze set on her nibble fingers. With her dark skin and hair, Junko's first impression had been that she was rather pretty, but he was becoming weary of the glares she occasionally sent towards the two boys working with her. The redhead seemed content enough with the gardening, when he wasn't being distracted by the other boy. The blonde was lively and animated, ready to do anything but what he was supposed to. The furry blue creature that accompanied them also appeared to be easily distracted, currently watching a large bug crawl across his nose.

Lowering his binoculars, Junko shivered as an autumn breeze whipped around him and wrapped his thick scarf more securely around his neck. He lay on his stomach, hidden behind a large bush a little way from the bottom of the terra's lone hill. He'd flown in on his skimmer in the early hours of the morning, so not to be detected. He was here on a scouting mission for his squad—no one had volunteered to freeze overnight to get information on their target, so Grimsley had told him to go. They'd been given the mission—their first—earlier this week, and although it was too late in the year to start any assaults, they had wanted to start some planning and training over the winter months.

His elbows were going numb from being leaned on, so the wallop rolled over onto his back. He glanced at his notepad, reviewing what he'd scribbled there so far.

_Inhabitants__: 4_

_3 humans — 1 girl, 2 boys, all in early teens_

_1 unidentified animal — small, blue, seemingly a pet_

_Fortifications__: good_

_thick outer wall — wood, stones, steel_

_two entries — large doors, heavily bolted_

_upper lookout platform — appears flimsy, may be good entry point_

_unsure of buildings inside outer walls_

_Weapons__: unsure_

_other than heavy defence, appear to be peaceful_

And they really _**did**_ appear to be peaceful. Junko knew that his squad members would ignore that point, but he felt the need to write it down anyway.

However, there were some things Junko noted that he would never write down. Like how seeing the redhead's grin made him want to smile as well. Or how gentle the girl's features were when they weren't scrunched into a hardened glare. Or how he really wanted to meet the blonde boy, who seemed to be constantly having fun.

Sighing, Junko turned back over and replaced the binoculars to his eyes. Telling himself that if he collected enough information this time, he wouldn't be sent back for more, Junko convinced himself to return to his duties.

The blonde was whispering something to the redhead and both boys started to snicker. The girl sent them another stern look, but when this only increased the other's laughter, she stood and began to stomp towards them angrily. She didn't notice the blue creature bent over picking a carrot and tripped over him, falling face first into a puddle of mud. The boys were howling with laughter now. The redhead managed to collect himself and made his way over to the girl, offering a hand up. The girl took his hand, but pulled him down into the mud with her. The blonde held his stomach while he rolled on the ground in his laughter. The pair sitting in the mud shared a look before beginning to throw fistfuls of mud at the other boy, the small creature soon joining in.

Junko wondered, and not for the first time that day, why these people—these _**kids**_—were such a threat. They didn't appear to be doing anything at all, besides _**living**_. And what did Cyclonia really have to gain from conquering such a small terra?

Junko guessed he just couldn't accept the fact that the smiling faces he saw through his binoculars were his enemies. They seemed so nice, so happy. He would rather them be his friends than his enemies. They looked like better friends than he'd ever had in his life.

Junko shook his head, fighting back the urge to walk up to the other children and ask if he could join them. He reminded himself of everything he had been told. These were destructive people who opposed the government. If they had agreed to Cyclonia's terms, they could have continued to live their lives in peace.

He just wasn't used to seeing his enemies in person, Junko decided. They hadn't been real to him before, just words and concepts. Once he got over the fact that they _**appeared**_ to be just like him, his mind would stop turning circles.

The young wallop had a feeling his brain would be doing a few more loop-the-loops before the day was out.

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**Well, there you have it, chapter 10! This is now not only my longest fanfic in word count, but also in the number of chapters!**

**No Stork in this chapter, but I'm sure the Radarr fans are pleased! I might as well have dedicated the chapter to the little guy (he snuck his way in and before I knew it, had practically taken over ;D)!**

**I mentioned before that one of the main points of this fic is not to show the Storm Hawks' suffering, but to show that they survived and made the best of the situation they were in and turned out the better because of this. I really tired to put that across in this chapter, and show the beginnings of what I always thought was the true dynamics of the Storm Hawks squadron: a group of friends who support each other in times of hardship and diversity and make the most of every situation. Because in the series, the Storm Hawks face many trials and challenges, but they always come out smiling!**

**Thanks for reading! Please leave a review and tell me what you think!  
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	11. Chapter 11: Shattered Ones

**Hello everyone! It was last minute (I leave for the airport in an hour) but I got this up before I left!**

**Thanks to my reviewers: Denvana, Midnight-Rose-Dew, WhispertheWolf and alicat259!**

**WhispertheWolf: Unfortuntely, there are some details that I'm unable to fit into the story properly, and the naming of Terra Neverlandis was one of them. Remember the story book Piper had to read to the others? Well, Finn got the inspiration from one of the stories (similar to our own Peter Pan). If you have any other questions I've not answered in this story, feel free to ask, and I'll give an explanation! Oh, and I dropped Terra Neverlandis' name a few times in this chapter for good measure ;D**

**alicat259: I read you review right before working on the last section of this chapter, and decided to give you your request for Piper comforting Aerrow. I was only going to have a brooding Aerrow, but you guys ask for something, I'll put it in if it works, which this did.**

**So, this chapter is a transition between the first and second sections of this fic. This whole chapter centers around the episode "Origins".**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Storm Hawks, nor the song "Shattered" by Trading Yesterday.  
**

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Chapter 11: Shattered Ones

**Taking all the shattered ones to the place we belong**

"FINN!" Piper called, her annoyance evident in her voice.

The blonde was skipping out on work _**again**_. He was constantly finding new hiding spots—she couldn't understand why he put so much _**effort**_ into getting out of chores—and Piper was beginning to fear she'd go bald, with all the frustrated hair tugging he'd caused her to inflict upon herself.

What Finn had against any form of physical exertion, Piper would never know or comprehend. Not that she wanted to spend her every waking moment cleaning, but there was some satisfaction in seeing everything neat and in its place. Of course, by the messes Finn left in his wake, it was obvious that cleanliness had no direct influence on his happiness. _**Direct**_ being the key word, because Piper made _**sure**_ that it did.

Holding up a hand to block the high sun from her eyes, Piper did one last scan of the terra. Not seeing any sign of the missing blonde, she sighed and turned to head back inside the gate. She wondered if it had been a good idea to send Aerrow and Radarr down to the cave for supplies. If Finn was in his usual napping spot, the others would probably just join him to escape the summer heat.

Knowing Aerrow didn't like the gate to be left open, Piper made her way to the ladder that lead up to the lookout platform, where the switch was. It had seemed like a good spot initially, since they had planned to have someone on constant watch. But as time had worn on and the summer had brought more work for all of them, they'd quickly realized that their guard plan was nearly impossible. They now tried to have one of them do a scan of the area every hour or so, hoping they'd catch anything big heading their way long before it arrived.

As she climbed the rungs, Piper grumbled her frustrations, "_When I get my hands on that lazy, idiotic, braggart of a—_ohh," she soft exclamation soon turned into a mischievous laugh.

For sleeping sprawled against the low wall, snoring loudly and drooling profusely, was Finn. Piper recalled him volunteering to come up and be the day's first lookout, but that had been _**hours**_ ago. He couldn't have been here asleep all this time? Then Piper remembered this was Finn, so that was a very good possibility.

Piper didn't even attempt to be quit as she pulled the lever that closed the front gate. Finn was not a light sleeper by any means. It would take a lot more than the _THUD_ of the descending door to wake him.

This was _**just**_ was Piper was betting on. She had a much better awakening in store for the blonde. She was about to get some payback.

The splat-blaster was laying against the wall opposite Finn, fruit-ammo pilled beside it. Picking up what she'd always seen as the guys' souped-up potato cannon, Piper placed the large gun on her shoulder and aimed at the boy across the room. Making sure to dial down the pressure—she wanted to wake Finn up, not give him a concussion—Piper loaded the blaster with a half-rotten fruit and fired.

It wasn't a perfect shot—she'd been aiming for his mouth but hit him square in the forehead—but it served its purpose. As the soft fruit smooched over Finn's face, the blonde woke with a start. Jumping to his feet, Finn ran about in confusion, flailing his arms and screaming like a girl. Piper burst out laughing at the comical scene. Finn, however—once he realized what had happened—was not so impressed.

"What was that for?" Finn shouted, crossing his arms and sticking his lips out in a pout, "That's no way to treat your lookout!"

Piper was unable to hold in her snort, "_**That's**_ what you call being a lookout? I'm sure you could see _**everything**_ with your eyes closed!"

"I've got super-sensitive senses!" Finn countered, "I would have woken up right away if I'd heard anything!"

Piper couldn't even attempt to answer this, too busy rolling around on the floor in a fit of giggles. She paused, however, when she heard an odd buzzing, like giant flies were hovering around her. And was that Aerrow's voice she heard?

"Piper! Finn! Open the gate!"

The two friends ran to the side of the platform to see Aerrow and Radarr being chased up the slope by five skimmers. Pausing only to share a baffled glance, they hurried to man their battle stations.

**And his love will conquer **

"Whadda ya say, Stork?" Aerrow asked from his seat on the skimmer, "Wanna be our carrier pilot?"

"And spend the rest of my life couped up in a tiny ship, flying from terra to terra in a constant onslaught of deadly adventures?" a maniacal smirk twisted across Stork's features, "_**Oh yeah**_, I'm in."

The merb's glee was short-lived, as a series of crashes echoed through the ship with impeccable timing.

"I should probably go check on that." Stork commented with a cringe, effectively excusing himself from his new teammates.

Walking down the hall towards the source of the disturbance, Stork had a feeling he knew exactly what had caused the noise. Opening the door to his emergency supply room, he grumbled to himself about foreboding and premonitions.

What a doomsday _**this**_ was turning out to be! First all his Cyclonian traps were set off by a bunch of kids, then the ship wouldn't take off, then he almost flew into a volcano, and now his supplies were a jumbled mess in the middle of the room. Nothing had been stored properly for flight. Stork hadn't expected to be taking off with such haste.

Picking his way though the pile, Stork sorted and restored everything he'd collected, stacking them soundly and tying it all down, for good measure.

As he worked, Stork's mind couldn't help but drift to the newcomers. He had to admit, their excitement was contagious—he hoped it wasn't anything serious. Of course, maybe he was only still reeling from having finally gotten his hands on the _**bloody key**_. But, the chances of that were slim to none. No, definitely mind worms...

Still, the four didn't appear inapt. They seemed to know their way around weapons and skimmers. Stork wasn't sure if this should be a comfort or a worry. They _**were**_ awfully young for the experience they showed. He sensed a dark and tortured past behind those joyful grins. He made a note to ask about it later, would probably make good bedtime story material.

His new teammates had been overly trusting too, just following him into the ship after he'd admitted to setting all those booby-traps. And the confident smirk on Aerrow's face was also troubling. He was going to have to knock that down a few pegs, Stork decided. It was up to him to educate them on the dangers of the world. Sure, he might have to crush some hopes and dreams, but it would all be for the best in the end.

Of course, that was only if the autopilot didn't fail while he was here in the storage room and sent them plummeting into the wastelands. **  
**

**And I've lost who I am**

Junko and his squad mates lounged around the newly conquered Terra Neverlandis. The others had opted for spaces on the furniture, but Junko had found the room small and stuffy, so he'd come outside. He walked long the inside of the enclosure, taking in everything he'd been unable to in his spying. He was impressed that something so sturdy could be built from such a random mix of materials.

Junko paused, looking skyward. He wondered if his skimmer was holding up. He had reenforced it in his tinkering, but a four-man—well, maybe three and a half, since the blue creature didn't seem to weigh much—load might be a bit much to ask of it, in hindsight. Junko also wondered how Grimsley and the others would react when they discovered he was a traitor. He had a feeling he wouldn't have long to wait. He'd believed confident "_We'll be back!"_ Aerrow had called as he raced with the others towards the loaned skimmer.

"_Do you really want to be one of them? One of the bad guys?"_

More of the redhead's words rung in Junko's head. Of course, he'd made his decision to go against his fellow Cyclonian Youth long before that had spilled from Aerrow's lips. The second Junko had heard Grimsley relay Snipe's command to throw their prisoners into the Wastelands, he'd known he had to try to stop it.

That was why he'd volunteered to do the dirty work—not that it wouldn't have been pushed on him anyway. Junko knew then that what he and his squad were doing was not right. They were only causing terror and inflicting pain. The struggling and pleas from his captors as he carried them to the edge of the terra had torn at his heart. The thought of being forced to throw them over if Grimsley was watching had ripped it clean in two.

Junko couldn't help but grin as he remembered Piper's defiant answer when he asked if the others were watching.

"_No. I bet they don't have the guts!"_ He could tell she was proud, a fighter, and extremely intuitive.

Junko wasn't sure whether to laugh or cringe at Finn's reaction. He'd never had someone grovel at his feet before, and it was slightly unnerving.

"Hey, Junko!" the wallop turned towards Grimsley's gruff call, "Get out front! We're meetin' Snipe out there!"

Junko hardened his features and went back to acting the part of the bad guy, but he had no worries now, because he was really an undercover good guy. He was now an ally of Terra Neverlandis, a friend of the Storm Hawks. Junko like the sound of that, it had a nice ring to it.

**And I can't understand  
**

Aerrow bolted upright, eyes wide and body covered in a light layer of sweat. _It was just a dream_, he told himself, repeating the sentence over and over in his head as if the more he thought of it, the more true it would be. His tired mind chanting away, Aerrow took a few steadying breaths and gazed around the room.

It had been a few weeks now since he and his new squadron mates had left Terra Neverlandis as the new Stork Hawks, but it still felt weird waking up in his new room. It felt empty, especially at a time like this. He was used to the others being close, but now he only had Radarr with him.

At the thought of the sky monkey, Aerrow turned to check on his friend. He was happy to see Radarr was still fast asleep, curled into the space left between the redhead and the wall. Sighing softly, Aerrow pulled back the covers that had twisted around his legs and carefully slid out of bed.

He didn't bother to put on socks or shoes before he stepped out into the dark, deserted hallway. It was an odd sensation, feeling the cool metal beneath his toes. It sent a shockwave through his system, effectively waking him up.

The new sky knight followed the well-beaten path to the bridge, head down and eyes dark. He looked up at the mechanical _hiss_ of the automatic doors, checking to make sure the Condor was unmanned—flying on Stork's improved autopilot—and not being driven by the merb. Aerrow had come here one night to find Stork was sleep-driving, and another time he'd been busily tinkering away at some new addition. But there was no sign to the carrier pilot, so Aerrow crossed the room and stepped out into the chilling air of the balcony.

It had become one of Aerrow's favourite haunts. Here, he felt close enough to the bridge to react quickly to any emergencies, but there was still that feeling of isolation. Aerrow wasn't certain if he liked that feeling or not, but it did give him time to clear his head.

The redhead shivered slightly as a breeze whipped around him, turning his sweat to ice water. Aerrow welcomed the cold, it was a nice distraction from his raging thoughts. But the tornado of images and sounds that whirled in his head would not dissipate. Grumbling quietly in frustration, he rested his elbows on the railing and his head in his hands, his fingers curling rather painfully around his red locks.

"Aerrow?"

He turned abruptly at the gentle call, trying his best to stand straight and brighten his eyes. Piper stood in the doorway, worry written on her features. In her arms was an equally troubled Radarr. The sky monkey gave a little chirp and tilted his head questioningly.

"Hey guys!" Aerrow greeted, forcing a smile, "What are you doing up so late?"

"We could ask you the same question." Piper countered, but her concern took most of the sharpness out of it.

"Ah, well, it's really nice out here at night you know, and—" Aerrow began, his hand rubbing the back of his head.

"Don't lie to us, Aerrow." Piper stopped him, voice still soft, and moved to place a comforting hand on his shoulder, "We know you better than that. Don't sell us short."

Aerrow let the mask drop. Piper's eyes widened at the pained expression he knew he wore. He turned his head away, knowing he would spill everything if their gazes met for too long.

"Radarr told me you haven't been sleeping well," Piper continued, "and you keep waking up with nightmares."

Aerrow didn't answer, just continued to stare at the floor.

"Aerrow," he could hear the gentleness ebbing away as her temper rose, "you've been distant lately, and your eyes are always sad. Don't think I haven't noticed! I bet _**Finn**_'s even noticed by now. You've had no problems talking to me before, so why now?"

When Aerrow continued his refusal to acknowledge her, Piper growled, grabbing his other shoulder forcefully as she shouted, "Would at least _**look**_ at me?"

Aerrow still didn't listen. This didn't please Radarr at all. From his perch on Piper's shoulders—he'd jumped up when she'd grabbed Aerrow—he reached out both paws and turned Aerrow's face towards him.

The sky monkey's big eyes were too much for Aerrow—they always had been. Through Radarr's hard, angry features, he could see the deep worry in his friend's eyes. Aerrow felt even worse knowing he'd put it there.

"Fine." Aerrow said. He reached up and removed Piper's hands, not breaking his gaze with Radarr's until the sky monkey took the now open space on his shoulders. He turned to Piper then, and her anger seemed to leave her immediately. Keeping hold of one hand, Aerrow turned and lead her back through the silent halls.

"Has it really been that obvious?" Aerrow whispered as they walked, glancing back over his shoulder.

The girl behind gave small shrug, "It was to me, at least. You haven't been yourself at all."

Aerrow was used to Radarr picking up on his every worry and problem, but Piper being so intuitive was new. Before now, he thought he'd been doing a good job hiding his troubles. It wasn't that he didn't talk to the others when he was feeling down—Piper called it "returning the favour"—but he had been able to conceal the things he didn't want to share. At least, he _**thought**_ he had. For a long time, Aerrow had been able to read Piper like a book. Now he wondered if she had worked as hard to see through and understand him as he had her.

Aerrow released Piper's hand when they reached his room. She watched, leaning against he doorframe, as Aerrow knelt to remove a wooden box from beneath his bed, placing it on the sheets next to Radarr. Sitting down himself, he looked up to see Piper still standing awkwardly at the door, arms wrapped around herself.

"You can come in, you know." Aerrow couldn't help but give a small smile. Since they'd started living on the Condor, Piper had developed a need to be verbally invited into the other's rooms.

Aerrow patted the space beside him on the bed and Piper obediently sat. He placed the box in her lap, watching as she cautiously opened it and sifted through its contents, Radarr looking over her shoulder. Picking up the first letter, she scanned it, her eyes moving quickly back and forth. Finished, she grabbed the next letter, then a photo, then a letter. Her eyes travelled at lightning speeds across the page, her features slacking in amazement.

"Aerrow," her whisper was breathy, unbelieving, "these are about—"

"—my family." Aerrow finished, "I found the box hidden up in the ceiling. The letters and pictures were all sent to my dad by my mom."

"But that means," Piper's eyes widened, glancing back at the letters for confirmation "your father was Lightning Strike, the sky knight of the original Storm Hawks!"

"Yeah." Aerrow nodded.

"But, isn't this good?" Piper seemed confused by his lack of excitement, "You've always wanted to know about your family, since you lost your memories. Now you have your mother's handwriting and photographs, even."

Radarr chirped in agreement, looking just as baffled.

"I thought so too, at first." Aerrow explained, "I now know my relation to the Storm Hawks, and that I had a brother and a sister, and my mom wrote about all this stuff that happened. I was really happy to find out were I came from and who I was."

Aerrow stopped then, sighing. Piper placed a hand atop his, "So, what changed?"

"I... I started remembering things," Aerrow answered, "Things I don't want to remember."

Radarr jumped down from Piper's shoulders, coming to sit on Aerrow's other side. He pet the boy's arm soothingly, encouraging.

"I keep having nightmares about the day they died." Aerrow continued, "It shouldn't bother me so much. I've seen what the Cyclonians did, the people they've killed."

"It's totally different." Piper whispered, her grip on his hand tightening, "It's different when you know the people. The feeling of loss, it becomes overwhelming."

"Yeah," Aerrow agreed, nodding solemnly, "Even the good memories I have now only seem to hurt. I guess I feel like, I know what I lost now, what I'm missing."

Aerrow fisted his hands, trying to stop their shaking. But his shoulders gave him away as they began to tremble. He willed himself not to break down. This was all wrong. It had always been he who was comforting, not the one needing the comfort. He had to be strong. He was the leader, he couldn't afford weakness.

"You can't be happy all the time, Aerrow." Piper wrapped an arm around him, seeming to read his mind, "Everyone needs to cry, it's good for you."

And with those words, Aerrow broke. Piper and Radarr wrapped their arms around him in a soothing embrace as he wept into the girl's shoulder. He was surprised at how good it felt, to have his best friends around him, to let out all his restrained emotions.

However, Aerrow knew this would be a onetime deal. He wouldn't let himself crumble because of this again. He had to put this all at the back of his mind. He had responsibilities now, a job to do. The guardians said he would save the Atmos, and he had no plans of not trying to, even if his squadron wouldn't be officially accepted.

But for now, in these few, quiet moments, he let himself fall into the loving hands of his new family.

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**Okay, some really quick notes:**

**In the episode, the number of kids in Grimsley's squad keeps changing :S When they're flying in on skimmers, there are either 4 or 5, depending on the shot. Once they land, Grimsley sends Junko and 2 others around back, and then turns and talks to 2 others, which would make the squad have 6 people. However, the 2 who went with Junko and the 2 who stay with Grimsley are exactly the same (unless we have 2 sets of twins), so I just decided to choose 5 as the number of skimmers coming in when Piper and Finn look out.**

**Secondly, I always wondered why Grimsley knew Aerrow's name in the episode. I'm saying that Junko got it from his spying, which is why he knows the others' names too.**

**Finally, in the next section of this fic, I'll be taking scenes from, during, before, after, etc. various episodes. I was initially going to say which episode each part was from at the beginning of the chapter, but I was wondering if you guys wanted to make a game of it and see if you can guess. I'd announce the episodes in the following chapter. Just a thought.**

**Anyway, this is goodbye for about a month (unless I somehow have way more time on my hands than I expect), so have fun reading and please review!**

**OH! And if you want a bit more on Aerrow and his past, read "A Winter's Night". It's a companion to this fic and goes into Aerrow's memories a little bit more.  
**


	12. Chapter 12: Why My Heart is so Broken

**Hello everyone! I'm finally back and ready to write!**

**Thank you to all my readers and reviewers. I'm pleased to see that you're enjoying reading this as much as I am writing it. I don't usually do this, but I have a little note for each of my four reviewers:**

**_Midnight-Rose-Dew_: You asked how Aerrow found the his father's keep-sake box. Well, as many know, Radarr likes to take naps in many odd places around the Condor, often finding little nooks and crannies to hide away and not be disturbed. On one such occasion, Aerrow was trying to find Radarr, but couldn't find the sky monkey in any of his usual haunts. Finding a lose tile in the ceiling (Stork having already loosened it, it moved with the Condor's rocky flight) and thought that Radarr might have been hiding up among the pipes. But, Aerrow didn't find Radarr, but the box. And that's a really quick version of the story.**

**_WhispertheWolf_: Thanks for the review, and I'm glad you felt I made the right choice in having Piper comfort Aerrow. This ending up coming back in this chapter as well. I think it was a good way to show their relationship, and I'm happy you agree!**

**_WishfulTrance_: The Youtube video you mentioned, did you mean the one titled "Love Will Conquer All." If you did, then yes, I know it very well, since I'm the one who made it! ;)**

**And finally, to the ever-impatient (jk) _Denvana_: I have to really thank you for a timely review. When I read it, I'd just spent a few hours thoroughly mapping out this second section and in no mood to write it any time soon. But you really encouraged me to get cracking! So, everyone can thank you for this chapter being up now!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Storm Hawks, nor "Shattered" by Trading Yesterday.**

**_NOTE:_** **I will remind my readers again, we are now into the second section of this story. From here on in, _time line means nothing_! I'll be jumping all over the place for each section/scene in every chapter (its all about the meaning of the song lyrics now), so don't get confused! I've noted the episode number and name below of the episodes in which each scene occurs. Check there if you're unsure.****  
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Chapter 12: Why My Heart is so Broken

**Why my heart is so broken  
**

"Don't worry Big J." Finn couldn't hide his amused smile as he patted Junko's shoulder, the wallop nursing a brain freeze. "I'm sure you'll thaw... eventually."

Piper was walking towards the pair to see if the frozen pies had caused any permanent brain damage to her shivering squadron-mate, but her course was altered when Billy Rex jumped up to give an over-enthused suggestion.

"Oh! I just got an idea, eh. How 'bout you Storm Hawks and us Absolute Zeros do some high speed trainin' in the back country!"

The presentation came complete with descriptive actions and flailing arms. Piper found herself wondering if he was some distant, talking relative of Radarr's. But that suspicion aside, the thought of exploring the Blizzarians' new home did excite her, and she expressed her sentiment.

"That would be fantastic! I could update my maps while we're—"

But Piper stopped in her tracks when she was cut off.

"No, no no no no." Billy Rex's voice took an odd sternness that didn't seem to fit with his crazed personality, "Ladies don't do the back country trainin', eh. You's gotta stay here with them girls."

Piper's face fell as she listened to the Blizzarian, his arms crossed and expression stiff. She felt herself bristle in irritation. How _**dare**_ he say something so sexist, so... _**RUDE!**_ Piper wanted more than anything to stride up and give these guys a piece of her mind, but they were already mounting their modified skimmers.

"Lets rock'n'roll boys!" Billy Rex called with a whoop as he speed off, his squadron mates close behind, kicking up clouds of snow behind them.

"Don't listen to him, you can ride with me." Aerrow pointed to his skimmer, flashing her a welcoming grin.

Of course it would be Aerrow. Ever watchful, ever considerate Aerrow. Piper almost smiled back and agreed, but she just couldn't allow herself to tag along with the guys who just insulted her. This was about her morals, her ethics, and—she would admit only to herself—her ego.

And so, with the most unhurt tone she could muster, Piper turned her back on her friend and replied, "Forget it. I've change my mind."

But, of course, Aerrow caught the disappointment hidden underneath. Anyway, he was never one to give up easily. "Are you sure? Because—"

"Aerrow, I said forget it." she turned back and cut him off, trying her best to sound annoyed.

The sky knight still didn't seem to totally buy her act, but after a questioning glance, he turned to where Radarr waited on their skimmer. Piper felt a pang of guilt when she caught the troubled look Aerrow wore as he speed off after the others. She really hoped she hadn't ruined the trip for him.

When the redhead finally turned, Piper allowed the longing to return to her golden eyes. She couldn't stop the unwanted memories from bombarding her mind. She's a little girl again, watching the boys play sky knight as she reads a book and tells herself she doesn't care about being left behind. She had lied to herself then, and she was doing the same thing now. How she had longed for the winter months, when the others had come running to _**her**_ for entertainment and she had never been alone. She could have almost laughed at the cruel irony, as she stood on the icy tundra. For now, it was the snow that had taken her friends from her.

As she internally drowned in self pity, Piper was faintly aware that one of the Blizzarian girls behind her had started talking, "—like keepin' my squadron trained up real good."

It took Piper a few seconds to realize the implications of that statement.

"Wait. Did I just hear you say _**your**_ squadron?"

"Oh yeah," the girl smiled and held out a furry hand, "The name's Suzi-Lu, sky knight of Blizzaris."

Reaching out to shake Suzi-Lu's hand, Piper couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. Suddenly, she didn't feel so sad and alone anymore.

**Rejecting your love  
**

Aerrow yawned as he made his way through the dark halls of the Condor. Now that Master Cyclonis had an ever-tightening grip on the Atmos—another terra seemed to fall under her control every day—the Storm Hawks had to be on constant alert. The stress that came from finding themselves outlaws in the skies that were once their home was taking its toll on every member of the squadron.

That was why Aerrow had offered to take the first few hours of watch that evening—it was too dangerous to not have someone alert and on guard at all times. His friends were worn out. The past few weeks had felt like one long, tiring mission. And it was a mission that was slipping closer and closer to failure.

Walking aimlessly around the ship to keep himself awake, Aerrow found himself passing the Condor's living quarters. The sky knight was pleased to hear his squadron mates' relaxed snores. At least they were getting some sleep and would be fresh in the morning.

Aerrow paused outside one door—felt himself stiffen—at the now familiar coughing coming from within. He stood fighting an inner battle for a moment, wanting so much to check on his friend. But in the end, Aerrow did something that was not like himself at all. He continued on without even a glance at Piper's door.

The sky knight surprised himself again as he slammed a fist angrily into the wall after rounding the next corner. He was used to being able to control himself. But he was just so _**frustrated**_.

Aerrow had a sudden urge to run back and kick down the crystal mage's door, to shake her until she admitted her problems and _**told**_ him what was wrong. He stopped again, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, to think clearly.

Confronting Piper would get him nowhere. He'd given up on the direct approach after the first week. She was sick—that much was obvious—and tired. All Piper did was blow up at him and storm off whenever he attempted to help her. It was with a painful pang in his heart that Aerrow remembered that evening on the flight deck, the day Atmos had flied off to fight Cyclonia. Never before had she pushed him away like that when he was trying to comfort her. He recalled the venom in her voice when she yelled at him, was troubled even more by the desperation crackling underneath.

Why wasn't Piper telling him what was wrong, when something so obviously was? They'd confided in each other for so long—could read each other like a book. So why the sudden withdrawal? Aerrow felt like their friendship was right back to where it'd started. Overnight, Piper seemed to have converted back to the quiet, frail little girl from all those years ago, hiding her darkest torments under the mask of a shy smile.

And again Aerrow's mind brought him back to the Atmos' final day of freedom. Piper's body had felt so small and fragile in his arms as he'd knelt to hold her limp form. He'd returned, once again, to the day he'd met her. He was a little boy holding a battered, broken girl and not knowing what to do.

That feeling of helplessness had stayed, festered inside him. Aerrow had never really realised how much he feared losing Piper until these past few weeks. But looking back now, the sky knight could trace these feelings to those first, nerve-racking days when Piper had seemed so tiny and weak, he'd been afraid he would break her.

Aerrow could feel the shadows of the hall around him pressing in a little further. He tried desperately to hold on to just a little spark of his earlier anger—at least it possessed a fire and a strength—but he was just too exhausted. The sky knight could feel despair snaking its way around him, like the metallic tentacles of the Night Crawlers' new far-side weapons.

As optimistic as Aerrow tried to be for his fellow Storm Hawks, he was beginning to doubt that they would ever be able to defeat Master Cyclonis and her Talons. As the days wore on, more terras were conquered and more sky knights and their squadrons captured. Aerrow couldn't help but wonder how long he and his fellow Storm Hawks would last.

Inattentive to where his feet were taking him, Aerrow found himself right back where he'd started. The sky knight would have been surprised to find himself standing before Piper's door once again, except this had been what he'd been doing for years, whenever he felt this way. He was drained both physically and mentally. He needed someone to confide in, and that someone had always been Piper.

So why did he hesitate this time? He knew Piper had her own troubles and he didn't want to burden her with his own as well. But, she had been insisting she was fine and everything was normal, so why not just act like it was? If she wanted him to ignore her blatant problems, then he would—she must have a good reason to be doing so, right?

As he raised a fist to tap softly on Piper's door, Aerrow could only hope that if he took the lead and opened up then—maybe—she would do the same.

**Without love gone wrong  
**

"I can just imagine the look on Cyclonis' face!" Finn said as he laughed along with his fellow Storm Hawks at the image his comment brought to their imagination.

Finn was back in his element. His idea of painting their symbol on the Cyclonian flag had been pure genius, if he did say so himself. But, he had to stay humble. After all, he _**was**_ the King of Tricksters; the Prince of Pranks! He beamed at the memory of his childhood nickname. Ah, the jokes he'd pulled on Grace and his parents! The _**brilliance**_ of his schemes! He'd told Piper about his old title once, but the girl had only commented that he was more of a jester than a king. So not cool.

The Storm Hawks' mirth came to an abrupt halt as Piper fell into another coughing fit. After gaining control, Piper's eyes swept around the bridge and the concerned expressions on her friend's faces. The crystal mage turned her eyes to the floor, her discomfort of the other's attention obvious.

"I'm fine." Piper said, but her weak protest did little to convince her squadron mates.

The all too familiar worry pulled at Finn's heart. Just like the others, he had helplessly watched Piper deteriorate these past few weeks. She was horribly pale, her skin taking on a murky, grey tint. She had become even thinner—something Finn had thought impossible for the petite girl—and her features were hollowed and ghastly.

For the briefest of moments, Finn had caught Piper's eyes when she gazed around the room. They were dulled, having lost their old spark. This weak, troubled girl before him was not the strong, spirited—and often annoying—Piper he had come to view as a sister.

Images that only came in nightmares flashed before Finn's eyes. A beautiful, golden haired girl sprawled broken and bleeding on her bedroom floor. Another set of eyes dulled, the spark of life so brutally stolen. How those sky blue orbs brimmed with tears as she smiled sadly and mouthed _I love you_ to the trembling, scared little boy at her door.

For the first time in years, Finn had to work to keep on the mask he'd nearly forgotten he wore. It had been so easy to fall back into the old Finn when he was surrounded by his new friends; his new family. He'd been able to let go of the pain and learned to hold onto the good memories. And so he blocked off the haunting images and expressed his concern the only way he really could.

"Uh, are you kidding? You look worse than Stork!" Finn said, pointing towards the merb. He'd never been one for tact or subtleties, and he saw no reason to change this now. But realizing he may have offended Stork—which was never a good idea—he added a quick "...Uh, no offense."

Stork just gave a small _humph_, a thoughtful look on his face. Finn made note to check his room carefully before going to bed that night.

"Please, don't worry about me." Piper said gently, turning Finn's attention back to the present.

"But we _**are**_ worried, Piper." Aerrow insisted, doing a much better job of voicing their concerns. "You haven't used the binding in weeks, and you're still getting worse."

"Well, what we _**should**_ be worried about is fighting Cyclonia." Piper set face and avoided the subject, "Whose up for a status report?"

And although this did appear to Finn to be much more like the usual Piper, he couldn't shake the feeling of dread that was accompanying this cruel deja-vu.

* * *

**For anyone who was wondering where each of these three scenes are in the time line of the show, I've noted them below in this order: POV - Episode # - Episode Title**

**-Piper - Episdoe 10 - "Fire and Ice"  
**

**-Aerrow - Between Episodes 51 + 52 - "Cyclonia Rising Parts 1 + 2"  
**

**-Finn - Episode 52 - "Cyclonia Rising Part 2"**

**This chapter was not as long as others, but I'm not expecting them to be. The point is to present the scene with the characters thoughts added and relate it back to an earlier event in the story. I think I've done that okay here, although I've really seemed to focused on Piper here... oh well!**

**This would have been up days ago, but I was really struggling with Aerrow's part. I knew I wanted it to be from the final two episodes and where I wanted to go with it, but I was having trouble of when to place the scene. My biggest roadblock is I don't like repeating myself, and I've kinda worn out Ep. 51/52 in my "May I" and "Better Days" oneshot collections, _especially_ when it comes to scenes between Aerrow and Piper. So, I ended up having to create a little moment in between the episodes. Not ideal, but I think it worked out ok.**

**Anyway, I apologize for the long authors notes on both ends :S Thanks again for reading and feel free to leave review if you'd like!  
**


	13. Chapter 13: Lifeless Words

**Hello, my faithful readers! I must begin by apologizing for not updating sooner. I'd promised myself not to let a month pass without an update, but I was doing up an application (to do with a writing program, in my offense) and then school started up again! And anyone who is or has been in university will tell you that this means being swamped with work and reading :S I've spent the past two weeks writing this in my spare time (shows the amount of spare time I have)!**

**Continuing on, I'd like to give a big thanks to all my readers and especially my reviewers: WishfulTrance, Denvana, WhispertheWolf, Midnight-Rose-Dew, Agent Shadow-98 (I hope your still enjoying the fic when you get to this chapter) and Songbird of the End (if you decided to read on).**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Storm Hawks or any plot or characters associated with it. I also have no claim to the song "Shattered" by Trading Yesterday (quite a shame, really).  
**

* * *

Chapter 13: Lifeless Words

**Lifeless words carry on  
**

The retreating sun set the Condor aglow on its vicarious perch at the edge of terra Wallop. The airship shone gold in the depleting light, not yet succumbed to the dark shadows creeping in from the tree line.

The Storm Hawks' faces were stiff as they were prodded towards their flying home by a group of burly, crystal staff wielding wallops. Junko looked sadly upon his growling clan-mates. How primitive they appeared to him—after his adventures through the Atmos—with their ruff clothing, ragged features and weapons that were mere little stones on sticks. This only seemed to make the memories of his harsh childhood here even more fresh in his mind. The pain he'd suffered—both physically and mentally—burned in his thoughts. But he was older now, wiser even, and he understood things that his fellow wallops did not—_**could not**_, with their backwards tradition of power worship.

Junko came to a halt, allowing his squadron mates to continue on. Taking a deep breath to prepare himself, he called back to the wallops behind him.

"I used to be ashamed." Junko gained courage in the unexpected strength of his voice and turned to face his kin. He stood tall and stuck out his chest as he'd once done for Grimsley and his gang to appear impressive and confident. He needed to get his point across. "Because all the other wallops were bigger and stronger than me."

The group listening sneered and shook their fists, but Junko continued unfazed. "I thought being strong was the most important thing. But strength means _**nothing**_," he held up a fist for emphasis, patting it over his heart,"unless you have the _**courage**_ to use it for _**good**_."

The hardness began to leave the faces of the other wallops as they looked at each other questioningly, seeming to consider what Junko had said.

Chief Thragg, however, was not so easily swayed. With a growl, he stomped forward in anger, teeth bared and eyebrows knotted. "You dare mention _**courage**_? After _**you**_ didn't have the _**courage **_to finish the ritual?"

Junko decided to change tactics, softening his voice, the young wallop bent, pleading with the chief, "Please, Chief Thragg. Stop this treaty before it's too late."

The powerful wallop lookd down at Junko with an air of arrogance and superiority, distain evident in his eyes. But he was silent and listening, perhaps considering...

"You're not a wallop!" large hands grabbed Junko's shoulders and shoved him backwards towards his friends and the Condor. Junko could feel all his hope slip away as his face fell.

"You're a _**disgrace**_." Chief Thragg spit out the words meant to cut and wound.

_He's a disgrace! A dishonour! So little and weak and always crying. I'm beginning to wonder if that child's even a wallop! _

The words rang in his head, a distant memory Junko had spent a lifetime trying to forget. The image of his father, face twisted in anger and disgust, itched itself into his vision, seeming to mirror that of the chief's before him. Although this was Junko's most prominent memory of his father, he understood now it was tainted. He had good memories too, from before his oddities had stressed his parents to the breaking point and torn his family apart. This realization had never truly hit Junko until that moment. He'd never before let himself see how much his weaknesses had lead to his family's destruction.

Straightening, Chief Thragg turned and started to leave. Before following, a few of the Storm Hawks' escorts sent Junko glances—was it pity he saw in their eyes?

He frantically searched the retreating faces for some sign that they agreed with him. Junko felt alone and vulnerable, just like when he'd been a child being beat up by bullies or argued over by his parents. The hurt and pain consumed Junko and he felt rage growing within him. He had been weak then and he'd wanted the power that infested the minds of the wallops before him. But he's better than them—he had a strength that power could never bring—and is going to show them.

Junko stood tall, a confident smile on face—he had no need for falsity. "I _**am**_ a wallop." The wallops continued walking, not one looking back " And I'm also a _**Storm Hawk**_," Junko continued, imitating the chief's earlier tone, spiting out his words. This seemed to finally catch their attention, " the good guys."

Turning his back on a growling Thragg and his spear-wielding wallops, Junko met the eyes of each Storm Hawk in turn. Stork wore a rare ghost of a smile, his usually harsh features softening in approval. Aerrow gave a confident nod as Radarr smiled from the sky knight's shoulder. Piper and Finn stood grinning next to each other, the girl's hand on the boy's shoulder as if she had previously been holding the blonde back or giving him warning touch. Had Finn been planning on jumping in if things had gotten out of hand? Junko gave an extra big smile to his best friend in appreciation.

He _**had**_ been weak in the past, Junko knew that, and he and his parents had suffered for it. But there was nothing he could do to change that, and he had no plans on dwelling on it. He had strength now, the kind that comes with true friendship and confidence in oneself and others. It was in his friends and the Atmos that Junko's loyalties lay, and not in his people and the evil they supported.

**But I know all I know  
**

_THUD. CRASH. SCREAM._

With a groan Stork found his face creamed to the bridge floor, his legs somehow dangling above his head as his body twisted in angles he didn't want to think about. This was going to be a pain to untangle.

"I would like to take this opportunity to remind you all that I told you a _**SHORT CUT**_ over the Black Gorge would have catastrophic results!" he seethed into the darkened room he assumed his fellow Storm Hawks were scattered somewhere throughout.

Of course, they might not have made it. If the angle of his back was mirrored on someone's neck, well, that wouldn't be a pretty sight. But it wasn't his fault! He'd _**told**_ them—many, _**many**_ times—that flying anywhere near the Black Gorge was only asking for trouble. Not to mention the imminent doom he knew any and all "short cuts" brought.

The merb heard a groan—well, _**someone**_was alive—followed by Aerrow's voice, "Come on, Stork. You know all that talk about the Black Gorge is just spooky old legends."

An expertly timed howl echoed throughout the ship at the Sky Knight's final words.

"Isn't it?" Aerrow sounded much less confident than before.

Stork could hear the others shuffling around in their uneasiness. Oh well, he guessed he'd just have to wait for another catastrophe to get some quiet. He was sure he wouldn't have to wait long.

There came a sudden clank and a soft, blue light made shapes more visible in the shady black. Stork turned to see Piper bent over inspecting the crystal engine, an evident frown on her face.

"Everybody okay?" Aerrow asked as his worried gaze drifted over his rising squadron mates, Radarr clinging tightly to the boy's neck.

"We're terrific!" Finn answered, "Crashing into the Black Gorge suits us _just_ fine."

Stork wondered if you could die from sarcasm.

"Something is draining our crystals," Piper's urgent tone turned all heads towards her as she waved her crystal analyser over the spinning motor. "In a minute these will be nothing but duds!"

Looking over the crystal specialist's shoulder, Stork hummed in understanding before dashing to his emergency supply collection—now strewn all over the floor. The merb cracked his fingers and smiled happily. The others had always complained that he took up a whole room just to keep all his doomsday supplies, but now _**he**_ would be the one laughing at _**them**_! He basked in the knowledge of his preparedness. He had been determined from the day he'd met his easy-going squadron mates that he would teach them all the dangers of the world, and he was finally in a position to show them his methods were valid!

Gazing over the boxes' labels, Stork took stock aloud. "Mummified Virus Plage, Terrain Brainworm Infestation... huh! _**Oh yes**_. The Black Gorge."

Stork was giddy with excitement as he lifted off the dusty lid. Inside the old, wooden crate sat his meagre—you couldn't let yourself have _**too**_ much of an edge over your doom—but oh-so-essential supplies.

Grabbing the green-shaded goggles, Stork held them up and began to explain his safety measures to his ignorant friends. "The light-enhancing glass in these peepers will actually let us _**see**_ our slow and painful demise."

"Thinking," Piper so rudely interrupted. "Let's find a way out of here before _**that**_ happens."

The brightest were always the most difficult to convert. So, Stork got right up in Piper's face, a finger pointed upwards for emphasis as he started spitting facts. "No airship this size has ever entered the Black Gorge and been heard from again."

"Our skimmers!" Finn was the next to try and fly the happy-go-lucky ship to brighter skies. "We can just fly outta here and come back for the Condor later."

"That's pretty much impossible," Stork was quick to wipe the confident smirk of the blonde's face. "The natural energy field here _**drains**_ crystals of their energy."

Piper and Stork turned back to the drying engine. The girl picked up a fading crystal as she began to comprehend the gravity of their situation. "Without crystal energy our vehicles are useless, so are our weapons!"

"Might as well hope that our end will be quick and painless," Stork sighed, seeing understanding finally putting worried frowns on his fellow Storm Hawks' faces.

"But in the Black Gorge," the merb continued, pleased as punch that the lights flickered off at such a fitting moment, "_it won't be._"

"Ah, okay," Finn admitted. "That's actually kinda creepy."

Oh yes, _**it is**_. Stork couldn't help the maniacal grin that spread across his lips.

**Is that the ends beginning  
**

Aerrow ran huffing into the large, eery room. The raised statue emitted a purple light that splayed across the walls and mountains of crystals, seeming to Aerrow to imitate Finn's disco he approached, he realized the glow was from a crystal held in the palms of the stony figure of a woman.

Aerrow couldn't believe it, after all the trills and tribulations, he had finally made it. Wanting to get back to help his friends, Aerrow almost snatched the crystal before a thought came to him.

"Wait, too easy," the sky knight voiced his uneasiness. "This has got to be a trick."

"Quite true, Aerrow." His eyes darted around frantically to find the source of the soothing voice that suddenly echoed throughout the room. The face of the statue seemed to momentarily come to life, its mouth moving as it seemed to jump forward, "Not all is what it seems."

"You, know my name?" Aerrow didn't know what to make of this supernatural being, but he somehow didn't feel threatened, only intrigued.

"I've been expecting you," the manifestation within the statue explained, constantly appearing and disappearing, as if trying to escape but always being pulled back into her stone prison. "After all, I can see the future."

"I've got a _**lot**_ of questions, uh, we all do. They made me write them down." Aerrow brightened with excitement when he realized that _**this**_ was the oracle he and his friends sought. Pulling a list from his pocket, the sky knight began to read aloud. "Okay, Finn wants to know if he gets rich, Piper wants to know what she's meant to do with her life, Jukno wants to know if he every finds his missing lucky shovel, and Stork wants to know if the cure for bog-measles is discovered."

"And you?" the spirit inquired, seeming to catch rather quickly that Aerrow hadn't included a question of his own.

Aerrow's face hardened, losing the amused grin it had gained from his friends' odd variety of requests, "I just want to know one thing: Do we win?"

"Ahh," the oracle hummed contentedly, sounding pleased with his answer. "See for yourself."

Light pulsated out from the crystal and images flashed before Aerrow's eyes and sounds berated his ears. Master Cyclonis stood before a monstrous machine, grinning manically and laughing in triumph. The world was singed and burned, explosions of fire showering gold and ember over the blackened ground. There was nothing left, just skeletons of buildings and trees, the fireballs raining down promising to destroy anything that remained. He saw his squadron—his family—chained and shackled with heads hung, being forced to walk over the fallen terra they had surly fought to protect. And the noise. It was like he was truly there. The booms of destruction, the screeches of monsters, the clanking of chains, the screams and cries of the innocent.

It was all over in a moment, but Aerrow was resolute, he needed no more time to know what he had to do. "I can't let that happen."

The scene had been to similar to the dream-like memories that haunted him. There was a cruel familiarity in the screams, the fire and the fallen buildings, even though Aerrow had yet to remember the day his terra was destroyed. Piper had said it would be unlikely that he ever would, seeing the trauma of the event was probably what caused his amnesia in the first place. But Aerrow still knew the horrors the Cyclonians had rout, if not from his memories, then from those of his squadron mates. He remembered promised made to himself and the others, that they would fight Cyclonia and stop history from repeating. It was the reason they were a squadron, and he a sky knight. Aerrow wasn't about to lie down and let this future come to pass.

"Set me free, and a different path begins." the oracle instructed.

Aerrow paused, considering his options. This could all be just another trick. The oracle herself had said that all was not as it seemed. He had two options. One lead to a certain fall, and the other gave a glimmer of hope he was weary to hold onto. But did he really have any other choice?

Drawing a blade from its place on his back, Aerrow activated the blue energy of the crystal within and swung with all his might at the base of the statue. There was a flash of light and it crumbled before his eyes. From the pile of rubble, the spirit of the oracle floated up to give him a transparent smile.

"Thank you, Sky Knight." the grey lady whispered before shooting through the ceiling and out of sight.

The room started to crumble, as if it had been the oracle that had held the it together. Aerrow didn't have the time to contemplate all that had happened as he dodged a falling pillar and made a run for the exit while large stones collided with the ground all around him. Right now, the sky knight had only one thought on his mind: he had to find the others.

* * *

**POV - Episode # - Episode Title**

**- Junko - Episode 48 - "Wallop for all Seasons"  
**

**- Stork - Episode 7 - "Black Gorge"**

**- Aerrow - Episode 17 - "Forbidden City"**

**I'm not sure there is too much to say about this chapter, expect that, although it is not the longest, it took a long time to write. This is because I have to re-watch each episode (Thank you Youtube!) to find the scene I want, and then I have to watch the scene over and over until I get all the details and dialogue down. It is only then that I add description and the characters' thoughts. It's a long process :S But, I am getting re-introduced to some Storm Hawks episodes that I haven't watched in a _really_ long time. I suggest you guys to watch these ones after you've read the chapter and see if my interpretation lives up!**

**Finally, I just have to comment on poor Stork. It seems that I can not write him without making the whole thing a bit of comic relief... But, to me, Stork is already a pretty deep and messed-up character that doesn't need much more input from me. I don't need to show Stork's depth of character, so I get to show him in his upmost hilariousness! Besides, it makes all the doom and gloom bearable. **

**Thanks for reading and feel free to review!  
**


	14. Chapter 14: Take Me Home to My Heart

**Hello everyone! It's been a while, hasn't it? But, life takes over sometimes, and you have to make choices. I _have_ been writing these past few months, just not fanfiction! But I've finally broken what I have dubbed the "Chapter 13 Curse". I'm a little ashamed to say it's taken me 7 months to finally get this chapter up! But better late than never, right? And, in my defense, my Christmas fanfic "I Keep This Moment" was really a companion to this fic, so I was _almost_ working on it... If you haven't read my Xmas fic, I encourage you to! It's much more light-hearted than this fic, as if focuses on Christmas memories of the Storm Hawks before they all met :)**

**A big thank-you to WhispertheWolf and Denvana, my ever-faithful reviewers! This chapter goes out to you two. I hope you enjoy it :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Storm Hawks, nor the song "Shattered" by Trading Yesterday.  
**

* * *

Chapter 14: Take Me Home to My Heart

**Who I am from the start **

Aerrow felt helpless, and for one of the few times in his life, he literally was. The Condor was pitching and rolling as Cyclonis and her Night Crawlers bombarded the airship, and where was he? Confined in a full body cast with only a straining sky monkey between him and the floor. This really wasn't his day.

Piper ran through the door and gasped at the pair's predicament. Just as Radarr began to whine and his arms shake, she pulled Aerrow back onto the safety of his bed. The sky knight glanced at the clock. He was _**so close**_ to being free.

"Keep them out of here. I just need a few more minutes."

"But you've got twenty minutes to go!" Piper's voice cracked in desperation. " I don't think we can hold them off that long."

"Trust me." Aerrow smirked. It wasn't every day that he knew something Piper didn't.

The girl gave him a weary look, but nodded determinedly before racing off to help the others. Clanks, crashes and screeching Night Crawlers were soon heard down the hall. Every atom in the sky knight's body yearned to be out there with his friends. He wanted to _**fight**_. Just a few more minutes—he repeated the words in his head like a mantra—just a few more minutes and you can help.

The Condor went into its most violent rock yet. This was soon followed by Stork's groan over the loudspeaker. "A lil'... help on the bridge... guys."

Piper ran back into the room, crystal staff in hand.

"What's happening?" Aerrow asked.

"Shush!" Piper placed a finger to her lips as she moved to hide herself behind the door. "We got the Night Crawlers, but Master Cyclonis just boarded. The guys went to the bridge to help Stork."

"What are _**you**_ doing?" Aerrow whispered back.

"Trust me." Aerrow had no retort as she used his own words against him.

They both held their breath as another crash rang through the ship.

"Now, where is Aerrow?" Cyclonis' snake-hiss echoed down the empty hall. Aerrow's eyes darted to Piper. Slowly, the girl let out her breath, golden eyes hidden behind chocolate lids as she held her crystal staff against her chest. After one quiet moment, her eyes flew open, her face set in determination.

"Not a chance, Cyclonis." Piper moved to block the doorway.

"Well, if it isn't my best friend forever." Aerrow heard the swish of moving fabric along with Cyclonis' taunting voice.

"You may have found us, but we're not gonna go down without a fight!" Piper stiffened, holding up her staff defensively.

Not for the first time in the past few years, Aerrow was amazed at the strong young woman who stood before him. If someone had told him when he first met Piper that the scared, broken, sick little girl would morph into a tactical, courageous fighter, he would have laughed. But Aerrow knew better now than to mess with Piper's skills. She was a force to be reckoned with.

"YAAHH!"

Aerrow was snapped out of his revery as a Night Crawler tackled Piper, the creature seemingly to have simply solidify from the shadows. Using Piper's own staff, the Night Crawler pinned her between the wall and the floor. The crystal specialist struggled, but her efforts were in vain.

"Yes, you are," Master Cyclonis sneered as she hovered into the room. With a quick flick of her own staff, the Cyclonian witch aimed her crystal at the struggling pair on the floor. They both glowed an erry purple as they were raised into the air and flung like dolls against the Condor's metal walls.

"Piper!" Aerrow shouted, seeing his friend sprawled on the floor at Cyclonis's feet. He stole a quick glance at the clock. His time was up. He'd wanted to wait to the opportune moment. Master Cyclonis was probably expecting him to do something now. If he did nothing, he would be able to surprise her even more. So Aerrow stayed still, but was ready to jump into action if Cyclonis took too much interest in Piper.

Aerrow held in a sigh when Master Cyclonis turned her mocking grin to him. "What happened to you? Slipped on a banana peel?"

"Something like that," he retorted, trying not look at Radarr. The sky monkey was shuffling towards their nemesis, holding a dresser at least twice his height over his head. The size-to-strength ratio of sky monkeys always amazed him.

"Oh really?" Cyclonis chuckled, then snapped her fingers just as Radarr was preparing to throw the furniture. With a flash of purple, the dresser landed on the poor sky monkey with a squeal.

Aerrow's confident smirk fell into boredom. He'd caught Radarr's thumbs-up. The sky monkey would wait for a better time to strike. "What do you want, Cyclonis?"

"Piper must have you on a five day plan. Smart girl. Too bad you have ten minutes left and I'm already right here," Master Cyclonis hissed as she turned to tug the green crystal from its holder. "Now, you have something I need."

"No!" Piper cried from the floor, only answered by Cyclonis's triumphant laugh.

"Now, to finish off one of my biggest annoyances, once and for all." Master Cyclonis placed her prepped staff to crackle and flash barely an inch from Aerrow's nose. He could feel the heat radiating from it, its purple glow brightening the dark room around him. But Aerrow only smiled.

"What are you so happy about?" Cyclonis asked, pulling her staff back slightly. First mistake.

"I know something you don't know." Aerrow's emerald eyes sparkled with his confidence. "That clock is three ticks too slow."

"And this concerns me because?"

"I was healed two minutes ago!" With all his might, Aerrow pushed his body upwards, kicking the crystal staff out of his enemy's hands and releasing Piper. The force of his movements rolled him over and he fell face first to the floor. His body cast smashed into pieces, leaving the sky knight room to manoeuver. Sitting up, Aerrow turned to taunt a seething Cyclonis.

"Those ticks add up."

As Master Cyclonis raised her staff to attack, Radarr took his chance, flinging himself at the gothic girl. Grabbing the end of her staff, the sky monkey was able unbalance Cyclonis. As the pair twirled in angry circles, Piper threw her own staff.

"Aerrow, catch!" With reflexes befitting any top-notch sky knight, Aerrow grabbed the staff out of the air and swung it to meet Cyclonis's. The purple crystal embedded in the tip clattered to the floor.

"Now, about _**my**_ biggest annoyance." Aerrow jabbed the staff towards Cyclonis's chest as he echoed her earlier words.

"I already have what I really came for." The talon leader's smirk returned as she extracted a small green crystal out of thin air. "Maybe next time."

Pounding her staff into the floor, the crystal at the bottom exploded into light. A tower of red blinded the three Storm Hawks as Master Cyclonis disappeared, leaving only a hole in the ceiling.

Aerrow found himself staring at the night sky. He heard the clanking steps of Piper and Radarr coming to towards him. With a sigh of relief, Piper collapsed onto the floor beside him, Radarr crawling to his other side.

"Thanks." Aerrow smiled as he handed the crystal staff back to his friend.

"I could say the same to you." Piper's grateful smile soon turned into an annoyed frown as she crossed her arms. "But next time, tell me when you're already healed. You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Come on, Piper!" Aerrow gave his friend a playful shove. "I just wanted to know something you didn't for once!"

"Could you pick something a little less life-threatening next time you play genus?" The girl's grin returned as she continued their banter.

"Deal." Aerrow's expression turned serious. "But really, thanks."

"Just keeping a promise." Piper smiled.

_I promise to always look after you and protect you. And to do that, I've got to stick around, right?_

Aerrow's face softened as he recalled the promise a silly little boy made to a frightened little girl. He burst into a grin as he remembered all the grief she'd given him when he forgot that she had returned that promise. Aerrow had learned long ago that his relationship with Piper was a two-way street, one of give and take. They were teammates, equals. He helped her, and she helped him. That's how a team works. That's how _**friendship**_ works.

"Yeah. Returning the favour."**  
**

**Take me home to my heart  
**

"Ugly-goopy-wart-monstrosity-the-second?" Finn suggested.

"I always liked the name Clarence," Junko added.

Radarr waved his arms and jumped in circles around the room.

"I'm _**not**_ calling my new pet Twinkle Toes!" Stork's voice shock in fury, his eyes bulging.

The door _whooshed_ shut behind Piper and Aerrow, muffling their squadron mates' bickering. The pair had left under the pretense of needing to stretch their legs after sitting down watching the News for so long, but really they only wanted to spare themselves the sight of the abomination Stork called his new "pet"—and maybe keep their dinners in their stomachs. Leaving the cargo bay behind, they headed up to the bridge and out onto the balcony.

Piper took a deep breath, relishing the clear night air as she leaned against the railing. Out of the corner of her eyes, she watched as Aerrow moved to join her. They stayed like that for a moment, elbows and shoulders touching as they gazed up at the stars. Yet Piper could feel the slight tension—although it may have been more like anticipation—that hung in the air around them.

"Well?" Aerrow finally broke the silence, dragging out the one syllable he'd chosen.

Piper knew he was waiting for her to say what was on her mind. Ever since what the Storm Hawks had dubbed the "Stratosphere Incident," she and Aerrow had come out here whenever they had something that bothered them and they wanted to talk about. It was like their own special place to confide in each other. Piper hadn't really realized where she'd lead them until she'd stepped out into the cold night air. She guessed she'd subconsciously known she needed to get her worries off her chest. Anyway, she was here now, so there was no turning back.

"Why do I always fall for their lies?"

"Whose lies?" Aerrow's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. It was obvious he hadn't been expecting her to say that.

"Men like Carver, and Domiwick, or even Harrier, who seem so successful and powerful and confident, but turn out to be only ambitious, egotistical traitors!" Piper clenched her fists, her face becoming contorted in anger. "Why do I _**always**_ admire them? Why do I _**always**_ trust them? Why do they _**always**_ destroy my expectations?"

Aerrow sighed, raising a hand to rest on her shoulder. "Piper, it's not your fault. It's kinda like... um... that mind control crystal Carver had. It looked impressive and real on the outside, but inside it was only a dud."

Piper couldn't stopped a small smile from crossing her lips. "Wow, Aerrow. I didn't know you were one to use metaphors."

"Hey, I try my best!" Aerrow flashed her his trademark grin.

"But still," Piper's face fell once more. "Every time this happens, I put our squadron in danger. Look what happened this time! If Stork's spider had been the real thing, you'd be _**dead**_ right now."

"But I'm not." Aerrow's grip on her shoulder tightened and his expression turned serious.

Piper swatted his hand away angrily. Leaving the railing, she took a few strides down the balcony. Crossing her arms, she let the breeze play with her hair, not bothered that it would be a tangled mess later. She felt tears sting her eyes, and growled in frustration at her own emotional reaction. Piper wanted to be mad, yet unannounced grief seemed to be consuming her.

She heard Aerrow's boots hit the metal floor as he slowly approached her. She looked at him over her shoulder, expecting his widening eyes when he noticed her tears and surprised that she didn't really care that he saw.

"But what if you _**were**_, Aerrow?" she whispered.

"Don't play that game, Piper." Aerrow stopped just a few steps away from her and stared straight into her golden eyes. "It's only one of luck and chance."

"Isn't your speech poetic tonight," Piper's voice drawled with sarcasm.

Aerrow's eyes hardened in annoyance. "Stop brushing it all off like that, you know it's true. Life is just the luck of the draw sometimes, Piper. It's just by chance that all those guys you idolized turned out to be losers. It's only chance that we make it through each day alive. Sometimes luck is good, sometimes it's bad. You just have to live with what's thrown at you and move on!"

"You make it sound so simple, Aerrow." Piper turned to him, but dropped her eyes. She understood what he was saying. A piano could just randomly fall on your head, and then, boom! Your dead. But not everything was chance. Was it really chance that _**every**_ man she thought a hero turned out to be a villain? If there wasn't a direct cause, there was definitely a correlation.

"Sometimes, it's best to keep things simple." Piper looked up as Aerrow closed the distance between them and placed his hands on her shoulders. "When things get too complicated, they just mess with your head."

"I guess." Piper wasn't convinced.

"Anyway, the important thing is you saw all those guys for who they really were. You broke the illusion. That's more than a lot of other people can say." Aerrow's determination to cheer her up lightened Piper's heart a little.

"But you don't seem to be tricked in the first place," she reminded the sky knight. "I know I joke that you're jealous, but you truly mistrusted all of them right from the start. How do you do it?"

Aerrow's hands dropped from her shoulders, one moving to scratch the back of his neck. It was obvious he was uncomfortable with her question.

"Well, umm..." it was Aerrow's turn to gaze intently at the floor. "Do those guys—Harrier, Carver and Domiwick, I mean—do they... uh... remind you of anyone?"

Piper was thoroughly confused. Why was Aerrow acting so awkward?

"Sorry, Aerrow, but I'm not following."

Aerrow glanced at her quickly, and Piper caught the knowing look in his emerald eyes. "Do they remind you of someone important? Someone from your past?"

Piper remembered a tall man with broad shoulders and strong features. She felt his loving embrace as smoke filled her nostrils and stung her eyes. She watched his large back grow smaller and smaller until he disappeared completely behind a cloud.

"Papa." Piper's voice was barely a whisper. She reached up to grasp the crystal around her neck, her whole body shaking.

"Piper?" Aerrow seemed at a loss as to what to do. She could see in his eyes that he wanted to comfort her, but she could also see that he wasn't sure how to do this.

She made the decision for him, flinging herself at him as she began to sob. Pipe cried into Aerrow's shoulder, gripping the front of his shirt with the hand that wasn't wrapped around her crystal. Aerrow's arms quickly wound their way around her.

"I'm so sorry," Piper apologized after her sobs had subsided. "It's just been so long since I've thought of Papa." Probably about as long since she'd cried in Aerrow's arms like this, she added to herself.

"No, _**I'm**_ sorry, Piper. I shouldn't have brought it up. I only know about your father from what you told me. He's probably nothing like Carver or the others at all. It was a horrible suggestion."

"No, I think you may be right," Piper admitted. "Minus the obvious arrogance, Papa really was like their first impression. He always smiled, he had this quiet confidence, and he was really big and strong. So, I guess he shared some traits with the masks Carver, Harrier and Domiwick wore."

Piper could feel Aerrow nod as his head brushed against her own. She was always amazed by her friend's intuition. He picked up on a lot more than he let on at times. But then another thought came to her, and Piper turned her head to get a better look at the Sky Knight's face.

"But Aerrow, what does any of this have to do with you not trusting Carver?"

Aerrow's eyes jumped between glancing at her and staring at the floor. "Well, I guess you were right to say I felt jealous."

"How's that?" Piper was surprised all her teasing had held some truth.

"I—" Aerrow stopped, seeming to search for the right words. "Those guys all seemed a lot like how you described your dad, and... you were always so happy when we met them at first. I guess I thought that you were... kinda looking for a replacement."

"A _**replacement**_?" Piper pulled back a little, feeling a bit hurt. "I could _**never**_ replace my parents, Aerrow. You know that!"

"'Replacement' wasn't the right word!" Piper was surprised by how flustered Aerrow appeared, it was just so unlike him. She was even more shocked when Aerrow pulled her back to his chest and wrapped his arms around her once more.

"I was worried you weren't happy here. I thought you might be looking for a new family, that our's wasn't good enough. I was worried you might leave us."

Piper was taken aback. She'd had no idea Aerrow was hiding these thoughts. Did he truly doubt her so much? "Aerrow, after all that we said, that we promised—"

"I know it's silly!" he cut her off. "It's not that I mistrust you. I just can't help feeling uneasy around those guys. I get these stupid thoughts about them taking you away, and it puts me on edge."

"So, you did mistrust them right from the start? Just for different reasons?" Piper concluded.

"Yeah, I guess." Aerrow mumbled.

"Well, you don't need to worry about me leaving!" Piper tightened her grip one last time before pulling away to smile at the red head. "I'm the closest thing this family has to a mother. If I leave, I don't know what would happen to you all!"

"We'd get pretty lost," Aerrow grinned back.

"You'd totally fall apart!" Piper claimed, striding towards the door confidently.

"Hey, lets not go too far here!" Aerrow laughed, following close behind. "We all need each other. Every part of a family is important, right?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Standing in the entrance, Piper turned back towards her friend. For a moment, the pair shared a gentle smile before Piper's turned mischievous. "But big babies definitely take much more of everyone's time and effort!"

**Let me go and I will run **

Radarr slowly opened his eyes and found himself in a forest surrounded by rusting metal parts. His aching body protested as he sat up, lifting a paw to find a large bump on his head. Looking himself over, the sky monkey discovered he was wearing only a tattered pair of striped pants and that he was caked in mud. What had happened?

The sky monkey turned to find a wrench lying on the ground beside him. Yes, it had hit him on the head, hadn't it? He rubbed the bulge above his eye at the painful memory. And all this rusty metal were skimmer parts! That stupid crow had chased him up a tree, and then that spider had sprayed him with that smelly green stuff. Radarr wrinkled his nose at the very thought of it. He'd fallen, and then the skimmer had followed him!

Radarr chirped happily as his memory returned, but the unpleasantness of them soon soured his mood. He had all the luck, didn't he? And where was Aerrow? They'd come here together, right? They'd been in jail and had escaped... it was Piper's plan! The sky monkey made a mental note to demand that five extra batches of sand cakes be baked to make up for all this.

Radarr stood and began rummaging through the parts around him. Some tools were among the mix, and he was pleased to find the rocket still had charged crystals inside. He could probably make something of this junk. He had a feeling they might need some transportation off this terra. It was obvious that things hadn't gone as planned, that was for sure. But, then again, when did they ever follow Piper's plans?

But what had happened to Aerrow? Radarr plopped back onto the ground, scratching his furry chin in thought. They Warden and his flunkies had been gaining ground on them... they had been surrounded! That's right. So, they'd split up. Aerrow had been followed to Widow's Peak... and there was that waterfall.

_**NO!**_ Radarr gave a screech of horror as he jumped to his feet, eyes wide. But his memory fought against him. _**Yes**_. Aerrow—as reckless as ever—had jumped. Was he okay? Radarr had not idea. Aerrow was tough, no doubt, but could he truly survive a fall for that height?

_Look after him, Radarr._

Radarr crumbled to the forest floor, his head in his paws. What would Aerrow's mother say? Her last request was for him to look after the redhead. Radarr had worked _**so**_ hard over the years to fulfill her wish, he'd been right beside Aerrow through everything, making sure nothing too serious happened. Why had he agreed to split up? Why couldn't the track beasts have followed _**him**_?

An explosion sent shivers through the forest. Radarr turned to see a yellow mushroom cloud surrounded by choking occu-crows. It was Aerrrow! It _**had**_ to be. Faintly—as if for confirmation—the sky monkey could hear the sky knight's voice taunting the Warden.

Radarr jumped up with a happy chirp and danced around. How could he have doubted Aerrow? He'd discovered long ago that Aerrow wasn't a little kid anymore. Ever since the first Cyclonian attack on Terra Neverlandis, a more serious and mature side of Aerrow had come through. He wasn't a little boy who needed constant protection—hadn't been for years. Like any good parent, Radarr knew he needed to let Aerrow fly solo and make his own decisions—and mistakes as well. Aerrow had grown up. He wasn't a lost little boy anymore. Still, Radarr had a feeling he'd be needing to remind himself of this for a long time to come.

Deep thought and epiphanies complete, Radarr returned his attention to the dismantled skimmer. He started dragging the parts together, lugging the larger pieces, while prancing back and forth with the smaller ones in his excitement. He had always believed it was possible to do anything with a trusty wrench in hand, and he was yet to be proven wrong!

Screwing the rusty bolts into place, Radarr was filled with nostalgia as he recalled the old skimmer from Terra Neverlandis. It had taken a lot of work to fix it that first time, after Piper had crashed the overheated machine into Terra Neverlandis. He had made smaller repairs on it throughout the years and it had served them well. Once they had found the Condor and all the skimmers on board, they'd decided to leave the old skimmer in the cave on their home terra, just in case they someday found themselves in need of it. Radarr was confident if they did need it, his old friend would be ready, once again, for service.

Standing back, Radarr admired his handiwork. It looked pretty good, considering it was rusting and had a few parts missing. But all the essentials were there, and in Radarr's eyes, the metal sparkled and shone in the sunlight. He was always proud of everything he built. The sky monkey's ego deflated, however, when the headlight fell off with a screech and a thud.

Oh well, nothing's perfect. With a sigh, Radarr reattached the offending light. Jumping up onto the seat, he headed towards the sounds of falling trees, growling track beasts and shouting prison guards. Where else would he find Aerrow?

The skimmer bounced along over roots and bushes. The large machine was a lot harder for Radarr to control on the ground. He may be a copilot in the sky, but land riding had never been his forte. As the forest began to thin, Radarr could make out Aerrow surrounded by the Warden and his men. Honking the horn in warning, he speed towards his friend. But luck just wasn't on the sky monkey's side. Hitting a root at a bad angle, skimmer and rider were thrown skyward. Radarr screeched as he flew through the air, limbs flailing. To his own surprise, he survived the crash back to the terra below and was able to stop right next to Aerrow. Wow, it actually looked like he'd planned it!

"Way to go Radarr!" Aerrow cheered, high-fiving his friend before turning to smirk at the confounded group of men surrounding them. "You're gonna have to clean your own bird cages, Warden. We're out of here!"

Aerrow jumped on and drove straight through the line of prison guards. The half-witted men scrambled to get out of the way, diving onto the ground. The pair on the skimmer continued, speeding through forest as they dodged trees left and right.

"Where'd you find this thing?" Aerrow quickly glanced at his best friend.

Radarr did his best to smile, just happy to have found Aerrow again and knowing they would soon be off this god-forsaken terra. The sky knight give him an odd look. Radarr realized he must have looked horrible, with one eye green and the other only half open from the swelling bump on his head, not to mention the cloths he had left were in shambles and he was covered in mud.

"You've had a rough day."

He had _**NO**_ idea...

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**POV - Episode # - Episode Title**

**- Aerrow - Episode 38 - "Five Days"**

**- Piper - Episode 34 - "Second Chances" (reference to Ep. 17 - "Forbidden City" and Ep. 4 "The Code")**

**- Radarr - Episode 16 - "Escape!"**

**Well, that was definitely one of my longest updates yet, if not the longest (I've kinda lost track, myself), so I hope it begins to make up for the long wait!**

**I've got to admit, writing the first section of this chapter was like pulling teeth :S I've been writing all original stuff the past few months, so writing something that was almost completely planned out for me before I started was very hard. Thankfully, the second section left a lot more room for creativity, so the rest of the chapter came fairly easy (I love writing Radarr, so he's never really a true task for me :D).**

**A few notes: To you English-class junkies, I know that Aerrow's mind-control-crystal reference was more of a simile than a metaphor, but "simile" sounds really odd in regular speech, and I think metaphor can be used to encompass all comparison-descriptions, so that's what I'm sticking with!**

**For all the Harrier lovers who shouted "He's not a traitor!" at me, please refer to Ep. 4, when he planned to hand over the Phoenix Crystal to the Dark Ace! That's pretty traitor-ish to me... Good intended traitor-ness, but traitor-ness all the same.**

**And finally, was anyone else bothered in Ep. 38, when Aerrow didn't seem bothered _at all_ that poor Radarr got _crushed_ by a wardrobe! I mean, he screamed Piper's name when she got flung against the wall, but poor Radarr doesn't even get a worried look! Aerrow just looks disappointed and then bored! That really annoyed me, along with the fact that if he was healed, why didn't he jump up and help instead of screaming people's names like a damsel-in-distress? So, I did my best to explain this so Aerrow stays true to the character _I_ have always seen him as.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Only four left to go!**

**If you want to help me decide what to write next, check out the pole on my profile page :)  
**

**Please feel free to review, I will consider any suggestions given and I love constructive criticism!  
**


	15. Chapter 15: I Will Not Be Silenced

**Hello! Well, it's only by a few hours, but I met the deadline I set for myself! I won't make you read a long author's note, you've all waited long enough for an update!**

**Special thanks to WhispertheWolf, my sole reviewer. I'm glad to know at least one person out there is still enjoying this fic :) This one goes out to you!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Storm Hawks, nor the song "Shattered" by Trading Yesterday.**

**Note (Aug. 30): Just to let you know, I've done some minor editing on this chapter, but nothing that will change the plot, just a few better word choices, mostly.**

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Chapter 15: I Will Not Be Silenced

**I will not be silenced **

There was a calm in the air that Finn hadn't experienced in a while. It came after every battle, as if the world were taking a quick nap between adventures. A warm breeze ghosted around the Condor's open cargo bay door, waving Finn's hair as he slouched against the doorframe. He was strumming a soft tune on his guitar, finding himself unwilling to break the serenity of the night with his preferred rock.

Finn wasn't half bad at playing guitar, and he knew it. His fellow Storm Hawks may complain about his choice in music, but there was no question that he had some skill—he'd proven **_that_** today, the blond thought to himself smugly. It was one of the few things he'd actually sit down and work at, could do it for hours. Finn was proud of his ability to make pleasing sounds—even if it was only in his eyes... or would it be his ears?

Finn loved music. He wasn't really bothered by the genre. Not that he'd ever admit it—that would just mess with his Finn-ness, and Piper would never let him live it down. He had his preferences, of course, but as long as there was some noise in the background, some buzz in the air, he didn't really care. Just as long as there was _**something**_. Something to keep the silence at bay.

Finn was well acquainted with silence. It had been his only companion during those weeks alone on that dead terra. He knew silence was more frightening and deafening than any sound that could be created. It ate away at your sanity, twisted around you like some dark curse. Complete and utter silence was horrifying, but once it sucked you in, anything other than this anti-sound was even worse. Enveloping silence was like a windowless room at night; a void of nothing that left you blinded once the light returned, much like sounds had deafened him. The swish of his blanket or the rustle of paper had torn at his eardrums like a bomb exploding beside him.

So when he'd escaped, Finn made sure to never fall back into that torturous cycle ever again. Noise drove away the silence and the fear and the long nights alone, wrapped in Grace's quilt, listening for _**something**_, yet not truly sure that he wanted to hear anything.

At first, the others' soft breaths at night had been enough, but soon he'd wanted the noises to be louder and louder. Piper's frustrated screams, the roar of wind in his ears, the clang of hammers to nails, the crash of thunder in a storm. It both frightened and soothed him. And so he found himself in another cycle.

But as the years passed, Finn was able to pull himself back little by little. After they started living on the Condor, he began coming out here at night to give himself some quiet comfort. He'd gotten the idea from Aerrow, having seen the sky knight out brooding a few times—Finn made a mental note to distract Aerrow with some fun tomorrow night, the redhead had been doing _**way**_ too much thinking lately.

"Although, we _**did**_ do some fun stuff today," Finn recalled, looking up at his favourite crystal in the sky. "And it was _**awesome**_ too! We showed Starling how you _**really**_ do missions!"

The star winked back.

"It was a good day. We saved lives _**and**_ I got to be a rock hero! Can't ask much more than that, right Grace?"

Finn gave the twinkling orb a toothy grin. Hearing footsteps echo through the cargo bay, the sharp shooter stopped his strumming and turned to watch the approaching figure. Aerrow morphed out of the shadows and came to stand beside his friend.

The pair looked down to where Polaris Point used to be. Now ships could pass safely through the narrow passage. They'd all been pretty pumped to help Starling with such an important mission.

Finn didn't like the silence lasting too long. "So, did Piper whine Starling into staying the night?"

"Yes." He caught Aerrow's smirk from the corner of his eye. "She said something about being the only girl on the ship and how it was too late to fly or something like that. You know Piper, she can be convincing when she wants to be."

Finn snorted. "In her dreams."

"Well, Starling _**did**_ mention something about wanting a rematch at keep-away—"

"Oh, it's _**so **_on."

"—at five in the morning."

"WHAT? No fair! No one in their right mind can _**move**_ before seven!"

It was Aerrow's turn to laugh. "If by no one, you mean _**you**_. Bet I could beat you blindfolded at _**three**_ a.m."

"Loser does the other's chores for a week?"

"Deal."

"Can't wait to watch you clean the toilet." Finn leaned back confidently with his hands behind his head.

Aerrow turned to head back inside. "Not if you're out here all night. You coming in?"

"In a bit."

"Okay." Aerrow put up a hand in a short wave, not looking back as he continued on his way. "Say hi to Grace for me."

Finn was taken aback, if just for a moment. He'd always suspected that Piper was a mind reader, but now Aerrow too? The sky knight was spending _**way**_ too much time with that girl. He was going to have to fix that!

**All this time spent in vain **

"Ugh! I can't take this anymore!" Finn whined, pulling at his spiky hair dramatically.

For a moment, everyone stilled. Aerrow stopped pacing around the table. Radarr stopped fiddling with the radio. Piper stopped chewing her bottom lip from her seat on the couch. Junko stopped gulping down fistfuls of wiggling tentacles to quell his uneasiness. But the distraction was short lived, and soon all four heads were again turned away from the blonde.

Agitated by their lack of interest, Finn stood up in a huff and headed for the door. "Fine! You can all sit here and wait for news from Stork, but I'm not staying still another minute. _**Man**_, I hate waiting!"

Without really thinking, Finn went straight to the outer ladder that twisted up the tree bark to the lookout platform above. He didn't stop at the upper deck, continuing on up, high into the willow's strong branches. He needed to get away from the tension and the worry. The closer to the sky he got, the lighter Finn felt. It was nostalgic, being up amongst the leaves. He'd spent a lot of time up here, all those years ago when he'd first arrived on terra Neverlandis.

Dangling his legs on either side of one large branch, Finn leaned back against the rough trunk. He took a deep breath, allowing the fresh air to calm his nerves. He'd always felt an odd sense of security up here. The idea of being able to see the whole terra while being hidden behind the foliage gave him a feeling of peace.

Gazing lazily over the terra, Finn's sharp eyes spotted the flames of Aerrow's hair as the sky knight briskly made his way down the slop. Finn guessed his friend had worn out the floor inside and was looking for a new place to pace. The redhead had always liked to brood alone, Finn was well aware. He'd seen the shadows in Aerrow's eyes when he'd arrived. The sky knight was not taking the bombing of the Condor, nor Stork's M.I.A. status, lightly.

Not that this surprised the sharp shooter. He remembered the last time the Cyclonians had destroyed their home vividly—the nightmares still haunted him. The blaze in Aerrow's eyes as he shock with rage, his friends' death grips and pleas the only things holding him back from a kamikaze mission. It had been one of the fews times Finn could remember truly being worried about Aerrow. And so now, faced with such a similar experience, he couldn't stop his concern for the young sky knight. Finn was pleased to see Piper emerge from the gates a few minutes later, and follow Aerrow's path down towards the cave.

Why did displacement always happen so suddenly? One day, you wake up to find Talons torching the ruins of your town. You're walking up to your home with your arms full of food when you spot a battle ship on the horizon. You've just finished a meal out with your squadron mates when your carrier ship explodes before your eyes. And all you can do is watch and despair.

Losing the Condor had truly been a shock for Finn. He'd finally gotten used to the idea of some stability. To have everything just _**gone**_, again...it affected him more than he'd like to admit. Finn cringed slightly at his initial reaction. So, maybe his guitar collection wasn't the most important thing that didn't make it off the ship... and asking how it could be any worse was just asking for trouble—looking back, he's surprised Stork hadn't strangled him on the spot for uttering such a phrase.

Reaching under his shirt, Finn removed a folded photo. Carefully flattening out the creases, he gazed down at the smiling faces of his family. After Radarr's heroic rescue of Piper and Finn's framed photos from their last home's destruction, the golden-eyed girl had sewn little pockets inside her and Finn's shirts, right over their hearts. They kept these precious memories there now, no longer trusting the security of anywhere else. Finn had never told Piper, but the gesture had meant a lot to him, as had the girl's repair of his quilt.

Finn sighed, wishing he had the room on his person for that last piece of his sister. But that was gone now too. Nothing would be left after that blast, especially not some flimsy old fabric barely hanging together. The heavy lose misted the sharp shooters eyes. It felt like he'd lost Grace all over again. All he had left was a fading photo. It would be gone eventually soon, too. Finn couldn't help but wonder if his memories would suffer the same tragic fate.

Finn didn't know why, but Marge's words suddenly echoed through his mind.

_There's plenty more trash in the Atmos, but you're the only Storm Hawks we've got!_

It dawned on Finn that the kindly Blizzarian was right. He wasn't naive. He knew the bomb was meant to go off while they were aboard the Condor. They were all lucky to be alive. Sure, they'd pretty much lost all their worldly possessions. The lose hurt. But, they still had each other. Homes can be rebuilt, and new memories made, but without his friends, it would all be meaningless.

"Hey, Finn!" Junko called from the platform below. "Radarr picked up a message from Stork! He said something about being on Bogaton and a new ship! Though, he may have said he walked through a ton of bog and slipped... it was kinda hard to understand!"

"Coming!" Finn called, making his way down to his best friend.

"You okay?" Junko asked in a quiet voice, once Finn had joined him on the platform. Of course the gentle hearted wallop would notice the sharp shooter's blood-shot eyes.

"Yeah," Finn grinned. "Just figuring some stuff out. History haunts and all that jazz."

Junko just nodded, his face falling into understanding.

**Wasted years, wasted gain **

Aerrow's back ached. He longed to stretch his tense muscles and get some relief from the metal wall he was slouched against, but we wouldn't dare, in fear of waking Piper. The crystal mage had drifted off with her head on his shoulder only minutes after they were forced into the holding cell. They were on a Talon cruiser, headed for Cyclonia.

"How is she?"

Aerrow turned to see Finn bent forward, trying to catch a glimpse of the girl hidden on the sky knight's other side. Junko and Stork looked on from their seats a little further down the wall. The determined, almost stoic, expression Aerrow's squadron mates had worn since he'd announced their surrender to Master Cyclonis was tarnished now with worry as they waited for an update on Piper's condition, as well as the question hidden underneath: Would she be able to complete their mission?

Aerrow turned back to the girl resting against him. Radarr whined from her lap, nuzzling the limp arms that encircled him in their bindings. Piper was pale—too pale—and the shadows made her eyes and cheeks appear sunken. Aerrow couldn't help remembering the corpses he'd seen long ago when he'd scrounged conquered terras to stay alive. Swallowing the tang of bile pooling in the back of his throat, the sky knight turned back to Finn, glad that the sharp shooter was unable to see Piper's deterioration.

"She doesn't look any better, but she doesn't look any worse, either." Aerrow made himself believe Piper's appearance was only the low light playing tricks on his eyes. "For now, I think she just needs some rest."

The others nodded and went back to their own thoughts. A guard jeered at them through the bars as he walked by, but they payed him little heed.

Aerrow's mind kept returning him to his encounter with the guardians. They had certainly been right about _the conflict that will involve all the Atmos_. That just made Aerrow worry that the second half of their prediction would be right too, no matter what Ayrgyn said. The thought of his impending doom tore at his emotions and mind, the shreds getting jumbled up inside him. Aerrow thought he may be beginning to understand how Stork felt on a daily basis—no wonder the merb seemed slightly mad at times.

The sky knight looked at the sharp shooter sitting beside him. There was a hardness in Finn's eyes that Aerrow hardly ever saw, and never before had it been directed at _**him**_. He couldn't remember a time before when Finn had been truly angry. Sure, he argued with Piper and got annoyed with Stork, but the loathing Aerrow had seen in Finn's eyes on the bridge had shocked him.

_You're one to talk_.

Finn's words had hurt. But Aerrow knew it was his own fault. He'd only told Piper and Radarr about regaining his memories—and only because they pushed him to. They had no idea that he also felt the pain of his lost family, that he had the same scars. If he was really headed to his demise, Aerrow decided, then he should clear the air between his friends. He could not leave them with this tension.

"You know, I was only trying to calm you down because I knew we'd need our heads on straight if we were going to do anything to help." He barely spoke above a whisper, but Aerrow knew the others would hear him. "You had every right to be mad, Finn. I truly understand that."

"Nah, Aerrow. I was out of line." Finn voice was soft, he sounded tired. "I've known you long enough to know you weren't just going to stand there and watch people get hurt. It all just seemed so familiar."

Junko nodded, mumbling something that sounded like _history haunts_. Finn's tight lips curved up into a slight, yet sad, smile.

"You know, I used to be jealous of you and Piper, for being able to remember." Aerrow laughed darkly. "Even after you told me all the horrible things you'd seen, I still envied you."

The others looked at Aerrow with wide eyes, but the sky knight's gaze was on the ceiling, unable to look at his friends as he confessed one of his deepest secrets.

"I used to have this nightmare. There were all these people surrounding me, with black holes where their faces should have been. They kept asking me why I couldn't remember them. Their voices would get louder and louder, and they'd get closer and closer. I'd only wake up just before I suffocated.

"I felt like I was a nobody. I knew nothing about my past, and so I felt I didn't really know myself. I'd worry, sometimes, that I'd been a horrible person, or I'd grown up in Cyclonia or something, and I had no right, being your friend and having a good life. I can't tell you how relieved I was that day the guardians showed up and told me I was a descendant of the Storm Hawks.

"I would have been happy, just knowing that. But, I guess life just doesn't work like that. I found a box one day, hidden in the ceiling of my room—"

"_**Wait!**_"

Stork's sudden outburst took them all by surprise. The merb's expression had become dark.

"Do you mean that wooden box with all the birds and flowers carved on it? The one that had all those worthless papers and pictures in it?"

"Ah... yes?" Aerrow didn't agree with the description of his family treasure as _**worthless**_, but this didn't look like a good time to argue with the carrier pilot.

"I found it when I was looking for that _**damn key**_! What better place to hide it than in that box? But _nnnnooooo_, it was only filled with junk! My nemesis, how long I looked for you, and how often you fooled me!" Stork was laughing manically now, pulling his hair out at their roots.

"Ooookay." Aerrow interrupted, watching Junko scoot away from the hysteric merb, who continued to mumble away to himself. "I'm sorry the box was such a... problem for you Stork. But that _**junk**_ was pretty important to me."

Lifting his crystal-bound hands, Aerrow did his best to keep his left shoulder—and in turn Piper—still as he bent his right arm above his head to reach down his shirt awkwardly. From a small pouch Piper had sewn over his heart, he retrieved his family photo, wrapped in one of his mother's handwritten letters.

The sky knight saw the recognition in Finn's eyes as he passed his precious heirloom to the blonde. "Piper made me a pocket too," he smiled, nodding towards the sleeping crystal mage.

Finn carefully opened the folded paper. Junko leaned over and the pair poured over the handwriting and smiling faces.

"The box belonged to my dad: Lightning Strike," Aerrow continued, not stopping when his friends turned to gape at him. "The letters and pictures were all sent to him by my mom. Her name was Avia. I'm the youngest. Sky was my sister and Claus was my brother."

"So, you got to find out a lot about your family," Junko observed.

"Not only that." Aerrow stopped, taking a deep breath before dropping one last bombshell. "I got most of my memories back too."

"WHAT!" Finn tried to jump to his feet, but only managed a face-plant when his bonds impeded him. Junko grabbed the photo and letter before they could be damaged, handing them back to Aerrow.

By the time Aerrow had returned his folded memories to his pocket, Finn was sitting straight and ready to ask questions.

"So, you remembered _**everything**_ and didn't tell us?"

"Well, I told Piper and Radarr... and I don't remember _**everything**_. The day my terra was attacked is pretty foggy. Piper says I may never remember that."

"But you didn't tell _**me**_!" Finn looked hurt. "After all I told you."

"I was confused," Aerrow admitted. "I went from wanting my memories to wishing I never had them. Instead of envying you, I understood you. Anyway, to tell you, I would've had to admit I wasn't nearly a strong or optimistic as I wanted to believe."

Junko nodded solemnly, and Stork was still whispering to himself in the corner, but Finn didn't look totally convinced.

"Look, I know I messed up," Aerrow said to the blonde. "And I don't blame you for getting mad at me back on the bridge. I deserved that. I just wanted you to know that I really _**do**_ understand. We've all lost a lot."

Piper coughed and the other Storm Hawks turned towards her. Aerrow's eyes met Radarr's and both their faces became set with determination.

"But as I said earlier," Aerrow continued. "We can't change our pasts, but we can change the future for the people of Atmos. This plan is going to work, I know it. We just have to trust each other."

"Yeah," Finn agreed, his expression softening. "Like we always have and always will."

* * *

**- POV - Episode # - Episode Title **

**- Finn - Episode 21 - "Storm Hawks Seven"**

**- Finn - Episode 49 - "Payback"**

**- Aerrow - Episode 52 - "Cyclonia Rising Part 2" - Just after the last chapter of "Hide and Seek"**

**And here comes the BIG authors note at the end:**

**So, Finn kind of took over this chapter... But I've had to rework the final few chapters (_again_) and I'm working with song lyrics, so I had no choice but to put two of Finn's POVs in a row, though I'm not all that happy about it :S**

**I realized something as I was reworking this fic: Episode 49 is very important. The Storm Hawks have once again lost their home, and it must effect them, after all that I've had happen to them. So, I've added in a few more character POVs from this episode, one of which is hinted at in this chapter.**

**Can I also say that Episode 49 has a lot of sketchy/dark stuff? A few examples: (1)The Storm Hawks were supposed to be blown up along with the Condor; (2) When the Talons almost catch Piper they say they're "taking not prisoners"; (3) Gunstaff points to a photo of his family and says "[the Talons] have taken more from me than you ever could"; (4) the whole thing with the guardians saying they've seen a future of Atmos without Aerrow; (5) Snipe cries for mercy from Master Cyclonis and she say "you may _live... _in the Wastelands." Makes all the horrible things I've had the Talons do not seem so far fetched, huh?**

**I also realized that my final chapter from "Hide and Seek" left a lot of conflict and questions between the Storm Hawks and I wanted to clear that up. I was hoping to put it later in the fic, but lyrics don't move around, so I've got to put it where I've got to put it :S But, it does make for some nice foreshadowing (or is it backshadowing, since things mentioned deal with things that have already happend, but are just not written for this fic yet?)**

**And finally, I want to make a note on the end of the first two sections. I struggled with who was going to come upon Finn at the end of the first section. I decided on Aerrow in the end because I believed the he would know the most about Finn's past. Why not Junko? Well, I believe that both Junko and Finn hide behind their "innocence" and good natures to keep away from their past. It was made obvious in Ep. 48 (Wallop for all Seasons) that Junko had not shared much about his past with this fellow Storm Hawks, as they knew nothing about his culture or relations. I think Junko and Finn would be able to see past each others outter shells and have a mutual, most likely unspoken, agreement to live in the moment and not dwell on the past.**

**After deciding this, I wrote the second section, and I wanted a good way to finish, and I was unhappy not showing anything about this relationship between Junko and Finn, so I added in that little bit at the end. But don't worry, I've got plans on going into this further in future chapters, and there are a few things left unexplained for now, so please be patient!**

**As always, thanks for reading, and I welcome all reviews and criticisms! Tell me what you think and if there's anything you need explaining!**


	16. Chapter 16: Hope Remains

**Hello everyone. Sorry for the long wait. I give no excuses; school and life just caught up with me.**

**A big thanks to AkaiMurasaki, who was so nice as to review the last chapter. And no, you're not stupid, I'm just pleased that you took the time to review at all. It means a lot to know you're enjoying this fic :)**

**Only two chapters and an epilogue left after this! I have a question for you all: As the epilogue is going to be the same as the end of "Hide and Seek," with just one scene, I'm having a hard time deciding whose POV it should be in. So, what do you think? Should I do the same as in "Hide and Seek" and write it in Aerrow's POV, or since this fic was very focused on Finn at times, should it be from his POV? Let me know!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Storm Hawks, nor the song "Shattered" by Trading Yesterday.**

* * *

Chapter 16: Hope Remains

**All is lost, hope remains **

"_Ahh_, you really didn't need to go through all that trouble," Junko said as he admired his recently retrieved knuckle busters.

"Nah, are you kidding? It was no trouble at all." Finn grinned through multiple strings, burns and bruises. "Except for the scorpion flies, and the elephant ants."

"Well, it's good to know I don't need these things all the time."

Junko really meant it too. He hadn't realized how much he'd come to rely on his family heirloom. Even after his mother had moved them away from Terra Wallop, Junko had often felt inadequate. To his squad in the Cyclonian Youth, he had amazing strength, but Junko always saw himself as a fraud. After joining the Storm Hawks and taking out his knuckle busters, Junko became equal to any other wallop. This had given confidence he'd never had before.

As his confidence increased, so did Junko's strength and bravery. He'd even started to believe Finn's claims that he was the _meanest, toughest, strongest wallop_ in the Atmos. Then, his crutch was suddenly gone, and it had taken all of Junko's wallop qualities with it. Junko mentally cringed when he recalled himself actually _**surrendering**_ to the Talons. But Snipe had made a horrible mistake when he'd called Junko a gleep. The taunts of his childhood bullies had rung in the wallop's ears and an unexpected rage had overcome him.

After beating Snipe to a pulp, Junko had realized something. His knuckle busters hadn't given him strength and bravery, they had only enhanced what was already inside him. All he really needed was confidence and drive, something he'd never had before he joined the Storm Hawks and gained real, true friends.

It wasn't Finn's claims of his meanness and toughness that had boosted Junko's belief in himself, but the support and pride that his best friend showed every time he said it. In truth, Junko had no desire to be mean and tough—they had always been valued wallop qualities he'd questioned. He only wanted the strength to protect the people, places and beliefs he held dear. And now that Junko knew he could do that without the use of his knuckle busters, he felt he was that much closer to discovering his true self.

"Yeah. But they sure do look cool!" Finn said, referring to Junko's family heirlooms, his thumbs up and smile crooked—though his swollen eye made the expression look a little freaky.

Smashing his fists together, Junko tested out his knuckle busters with a fond smile. "Yeah. Thanks Finn," he said sincerely.

Although Finn could mess up at times, his heart was always in the right place. He may have lost Junko's family heirloom and tricked him with the "Cyclonian Knuckle Busters," but Finn had faced the terrors of the Wasteland to return Junko's lost treasure. The wallop felt bad about not being totally honest with his best friend about how he had received his knuckle busters or the extent of the bullying he'd experienced.

But these had always been touchy subjects for Junko. He'd never really talked about it, especially with his mother. She didn't even know that he'd inherited the knuckle busters. Junko had hid them from his mother, not wanting to dredge up painful memories. Even now, Junko remembered his father whenever he looked at the knuckle busters—both the good and the bad. The irony of his father's last gift always stirred an uneasiness in the wallop's iron stomach. Only with his father's death had Junko been given the tools to be the wallop his father had always wanted him to be. It was like some sort of twisted compensation.

But as he shared a grin with Finn, Junko decided that his troubled past wasn't nearly as important as his new, happier present.

There was something in the depths of Finn's eyes that told Junko his best friend understood this as well.

**And this war's not over  
**

"What made you think you could beat _**me**_?" Repton snarled from above.

Stork found himself dangling off the edge of the Bogaton fortress, the head raptor's tail twisted around his ankle. Well, this didn't quite turn out as he'd planned. Hadn't he been kicking some serious Repton butt until a few seconds ago? Oh well, it's not like he was counting on getting out of this alive. Look at all the nasty raptors he'd touched today, and all the dirt on his face. If the reptile didn't get him, the germs sure would.

"I didn't!" the merb answered his captor. "When you blew up the Condor, I had no reason to go on. All I wanted was to take you with me!"

Swinging up, Stork grabbed Repton's tail and pulled the lizard down with him. If you're gonna go, might as well do it in style. It's not like Stork hadn't thought of his doom before, and going down for his ship was #3 on his _Cool Ways to Die_ list. Of course, Repton just _**couldn't **_make it easy for him. _**Noooo.**_ He just had to flail around and somehow get a hold on the platform. Now they were _**both**_ dangling off the fortress like a pair of idiots. There went _**that**_ cool death out the window.

"You fool! It was just a ship!" Repton yelled.

"Ekk!" Stork squeaked, face twisting unnaturally. He _**did not**_ just say that! "You take that back!"

With little thought to his on heath—raptor diseases, _**yuck**_—Stork bit down on Repton's tail with all his might. It was surprisingly satisfying and tasted oddly like chicken.

"Gah!" the raptor leader screamed in pain, gritting his teeth. "I mean it can be rebuilt!"

It took a moment for his enemy's words to sink in. Rebuild the Condor? Rebuild... Oh. Stork's teeth released Repton's tail as his face slackened in thought. He'd done that before, hadn't he? Those were the days. Just him, the Condor... and the flesh-eating monsters of the Wastelands. It was the happiest time of his life—not including his lengthy search for that _**stupid key**_. Stork had spent his days tinkering away on the ship of his childhood dreams, adding all the upgrades he'd thought up over the years. The thought of rebuilding the Condor all over again was one of the most appealing suggestions he'd heard in a long time.

"I guess in all the excitement, I didn't think about that," Stork admitted, no anger left in his voice. The merb smiled as ideas for a new-and-improved safety system began to form in his head. He may have stayed there all day if a rogue wind hadn't brought his attention back to the fact that he was _**dangling over the edge of a terra**_.

"Geek!" Stork cried before scampering up Repton to the safety of solid ground. With a sturdy platform beneath his feet, Stork regained some of his sanity. Seeing Repton hanging mere centimetres from certain death, his Storm Hawks ethics kicked in—curse Aerrow and his goody-two-shoes ways!

"Give me your hand," the merb said slowly—had to make sure the dolt of a lizard could understand—as he stretched out four lanky fingers.

"My hand? _Surrre_," came Repton's sly reply.

Stork couldn't say he was surprised when the raptor unsheathed his curved blade and flung the crystal powered weapon at his face a moment later. What else could you expect from Cyclonians? Diving out of the blade's trajectory, the merb watched the weapon boomerang back into its wielder's face. With a bloodcurdling cry, Repton fell flailing into the endless clouds below, a victim of his own trickery.

Cautiously moving to the edge of the platform, Stork gazed over into the now-empty sky. "Ooooh, yeah," Stork decided. "_**Definitely**_ need to install a better railing." _Hmmm_... that reminded him, the Condor really needed some updates to _**its**_ outer railing.

**There's a light, there's the sun **

Finn had never been one to knock and by now his fellow Storm Hawks knew if they wanted privacy, they should lock their door. So, when Junko's door swished open, Finn felt no qualms in strutting on in.

"Hey Junko, what's up?"

"Not much," Junko answered from his seat at his desk where he was leaning over some rumpled paper. "Just writing my mom at letter. Since the Ultimate Extreme Mega Warrior Championships is on TV next week, I thought I'd tell her to watch my matches."

"She'll be totally stocked to see you!" Finn grinned. "You were the star of the show!"

"Yeah," Junko agreed. "I haven't had time to see her in a while, so I figured it'll do until I get a chance to visit."

Finn caught the sadness in his friends smile. Biting his lip, the sharpshooter decided to stop stalling with small talk and get to what he'd really come to say to his best friend.

"Uh, Junko," he began awkwardly. "You know I'm really sorry about the whole Masked Masher thing."

"It's okay, Finn," the wallop assured, still scribbling. "It was actually kinda fun, until the whole hpyno-crystal overuse part."

"Yeah." Finn cringed. "Piper was right, you know. You aren't that horrible guy. It really was all the crystal."

Junko set his pen on his desk and turned to face Finn. The wallop's eyes had darkened slightly. "Don't worry, Finn, it wasn't the first time someone tried to push me to be something I'm not."

Finn was taken aback by the honesty the wallop's steal gaze. The pair had always skirted around their pasts, only giving the other enough information to satisfy curiosity, and _**never**_ had they mentioned anything too unpleasant. This was the first time a hint of either of their darker pasts had come up in conversation.

Finn guessed that if most people knew this, they would consider his and Junko's friendship a shallow one, based on surface personalities and hidden lies. But that assumption was completely wrong. The pair had a great trust and understanding between them. They saw themselves reflected in the other's eyes. There had never been any words between them, just a mutual, silent agreement to suppress the past in favour of their natural, fun-loving personalities.

"Life can be a bummer sometimes, hey?" Finn said, grazing the subject they never quite touched.

"Like a bad dream," Junko added.

"Haunts you a bit, doesn't it? History and the past and all of that."

Junko hummed in agreement, looking back down at his letter sadly. The room fell into a stiff silence for a moment.

"So, we pulling an all-nighter watching the Ultimate Extreme Mega Warrior Championships next week?" Finn asked, face splitting into a grin and voice raising a few octaves in his excitement.

"You betcha!" Junko answered with just as much sudden enthusiasm. "We'll have to plan snacks! Like chocolate covered slugs and spiny potato chips—"

"—and popcorn and ice cream!" Finn injected, doing a little dance. "This is going to be wicked!"

They both may have sides they'd rather hide, but that didn't stop them from having fun and being who they truly were: the best of friends.

* * *

**POV - Episode # - Episode Title**

**- Junko - Episode 5 - "Tranquillity Now"**

**- Stork - Episode 49 - "Payback"**

**- Finn - Episode 27 - "Mashed Masher" **

**Just two quick notes:**

**_Firstly_: Come on, we all know Stork has a "Cool Ways to Die" list... he's just pessimistic like that ;)**

**_Secondly_: Forgive me Junko for neglecting my research and not making your past as accurate as possible! While re-watching ep 5, I realized I had totally forgotten about the scene in which Junko tells Finn about his knuckle busters (its been a few years, okay, my memory isn't that amazing... actually, it's pretty bad)! I never remembered anything about his only friend Minky the Gleep or his aunt Eunice. Now, I skipped over lots of years in Junko's past, so Minky could have just come and gone in between (RIP Minky), but the aunt thing, that's a little snag for my story. However, I never said who sent Junko the knuckle busters, so that very well could have been aunt Eunice. So, I'll say Junko skipped details in how the knuckle busters were "given" to him. Work with me people! ... please?**

**As always, thank you for reviewing and feel free to review! Also, keep an eye out for my annual Christmas fanfic! This year's seems to be turning into another small one-shot collection like last year. It'll be a Storm Hawks fic and related to this series!**


	17. Chapter 17: Love Will Conquer All

**I'm back! And yes, I know it's been a while. I won't give any excuses because, well, I do this for fun and my life is busy. I will admit that I could have posted this chapter sooner, but I wanted to make sure I had the next (and final full) chapter close to finished before I put this one up, and I thought you'd all prefer to read the last two chapters fairly close together, rather than having to wait.**

**A big thank you to WhispertheWolf and AkaiMurasaki for your lovely reviews! A question for you and all my other reviewers: I'm still not sure whose POV I'll write from for the epilogue. It's a toss-up between Aerrow and Finn. They were the focuses of this fic by far (not that it was planned), which I think is because in the show, they're the two characters who are given the least amount of depth (Radarr is just awesome, Stork has too much depth, Junko has to overcome his differences from other wallops and Piper has the whole binding thing). Right now, I'm leaning towards Finn. But give me your thoughts and you may sway me one way or the other!**

**WARNING: To my regular readers. Before my next update (which should be the middle of next week) I will be changing my pen name to "If Dreams Were Wishes." My reasons will be noted on my profile page. I just wanted to tell you all in advance so you don't get confused when you see this fic under another pen name.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Storm Hawks nor the song "Shattered" by Trading Yesterday.**

* * *

Chapter 17: Love Will Conquer All

**Taking all the shattered ones  
**

Finn was halfway through a yawn when he walked nose-first into itchy fabric and solid flesh. Blinking blurry eyes, the sharpshooter tried to make out what he'd hit in the middle of the hallway. His vision cleared to Aerrow's amused smirk, with Piper's worried frown peeping over his shoulder.

"You okay?" the redhead asked.

Finn just moaned and nodded, scratching his irritated nose.

"Are those flees still bothering you?" Piper inquired. "I could get some more ointment from Stork."

"NO!" The mention of Stork's "cure" was enough to jolt Finn into wakefulness. "Just a little tired."

It had been two weeks since Finn and Junko had been infected with Aggrospores, transforming the former into a rampaging beast while sending the other into a near coma. After his squadron mates had explained what happened, Finn wished he had more control over his insufferable curiosity—and not only because of the flees.

Finn wondered if Aerrow had similar feelings about his lost memories. The truth wasn't always pretty. Finn had learned that the hard way. Even if he couldn't remember a thing about being in his monster-form, he'd seen the destruction he'd left behind and sensed the lies in his friends' easy brush-off of the incident. Finn wasn't quite sure he could believe that he hadn't done anything _that_ bad.

He caught the pair in front of him sharing a glance—he noticed that Aerrow and Piper always got worried when he thought too much in front of them—and knew an interrogation was coming.

"Are you sure there's nothing wrong, Finn?" Aerrow pressed. "You look ready to drop."

"Yeah, you look more than a _little_ tired," Piper added.

Raising his hands in defeat, Finn flopped to the floor with a pout, leaning his back against the wall. He was too tired to put up a fight. Aerrow and Piper moved to sit on either side of him. Finn's eyes were trained straight ahead, but he could feel his friends' expectant gazes like X-rays through his skull.

"It's the nightmares again, isn't it?" Aerrow spoke just above a whisper.

"Mind-readers," Finn mumbled.

"Sorry?" Piper questioned, obviously not hearing what he'd said.

With a sigh, Finn drew his knees up towards his chest and rested his head between them. He could just say it wasn't the nightmares. It wouldn't really be a lie. It wasn't _those_ nightmares, at least, not the same as they used to be. Those had been filled with little girls run over by skimmers and young men cut down in the street and Grace's shrieks from the next room and the smoke and flames of burning buildings. Now, every night, he saw only Grace's pale form in a crimson pool as he looked at his hands to find bloodied claws.

"Did I really not hurt anyone?" His words came out through something between a whisper and a sob.

Piper and Aerrow stiffened beside him. Finn had his answer.

"Figured you were lying."

Aerrow's steady hand came to rest on his shoulder. "We weren't. You didn't do any permanent damage. Nothing that can't be repaired."

"Yeah, Finn." Piper smiled, moving to kneel in front of him. "You may have knocked us around a little, but it wasn't anything serious. Anyway, I think Stork did more damage than you..."

But Finn took no comfort from their reassurances. In his mind's eye, Piper's smile turned into a grimace as his monstrous paws slashed at her chest. He'd reduced another sister to a limp body on the floor.

With a jolt, Finn rushed to crawl down the hall, away from the two people he'd come to see as siblings. He curled in on himself, hands tugging at his blonde hair while tears stung his eyes.

"It was only luck. I could have hurt one of you. I could have _killed_ one of you. Maybe I still could? You should stay away!"

"Finn, don't be foolish." Frustration was seeping into Piper's voice. "You're cured now. It was all the Aggrospores."

"How can you be sure? Maybe that monster is just hidden inside somewhere."

"We're sure because we know you, Finn." Aerrow stood and strode straight to the sharpshooter, offering him a hand. "We've known you long enough to know that wasn't you. Just like you'd know the same if it'd been either of us."

"Yeah, Finn. Don't sell us short." Piper had come to stand next to the sky knight, extending her own hand.

Finn didn't know why, but looking up at those two smiling faces, he believed them completely. They'd know each other just as long—and just as well—as any member of their real families. Maybe it was this _knowing_ that made him trust them so absolutely.

And so Finn let himself be pulled to his feet, not even complaining when Piper pulled both boys into a group hug and smiled when she whispered adamantly.

"Don't you sell us short."

**To the place we belong **

Finn stood up in a huff and headed for the door. "Fine! You can all sit here and wait for news from Stork, but I'm not staying still another minute. Man, I hate waiting!"

Watching the sharp shooter stomp out of the room, Aerrow understood his friend's frustration. His mind was buzzing—not only with Stork's MIA status, but also the loss of the Condor and the guardians' warning. He couldn't keep still when his thoughts were racing and the old fort was feeling smaller and smaller with every pace.

"I need some air too. Can you man the radio until I get back, Radarr?"

The sky monkey's eyes glistened with concern, but he still nodded in understanding. Radarr knew Aerrow liked to think things through on his own and he always gave his friend time to do so. However, the sky knight wouldn't dare catch Piper's gaze on his way out. She could read him too well, and he had to get some things straightened out in his own head before he was willing to share.

Aerrow allowed his feet to guide him along the familiar route. But the fort walls were rusting, the vegetable garden was bare and the grass had reclaimed the once well-worn path. Had it really been two years since they left their home in high hopes of resurrecting the Storm Hawks squadron and saving the Atmos? Truth be told, they'd had many successes and achievements in that time, proving without a doubt to be more than the mere children many had initially assumed them to be. Still, it was times like this—when he had no control and was unable to do anything—that Aerrow felt like the useless, young wannabe that others saw.

More that anything, it made him mad. Mad at the guardians for leaving with only a vage warning. Mad at the Cyclonians for destroying their home and upheaving their lives all over again. Mad at himself for not being able to ensure his squadron mates' safety. And while Aerrow knew he should let this emotion pass and focus on understanding all that had happened in the past few hours, he couldn't. In the cold emptiness left by his earlier brooding, this fiery rage brought a heat that could erase it all.

"Brings back memories, doesn't it?"

Jolted back to reality, Aerrow heard the unmistakable giggle at his surprised jump. Piper smiled as she moved to stand beside him, surveying the small pool and its surroundings. He'd been so caught up in his thoughts, he hadn't noticed he'd come to stand at the back of the cave that had once substitute as his home.

"Good or bad?" Aerrow questioned dryly.

His harsh tone made Piper pause. Aerrow regretted it instantly but couldn't find the will to apologize. Frustration tightened his chest and anger burned his mind. It was a consuming energy—negative as it may be—and he yearned to hold onto it.

Piper met him with calculative eyes, answering him with a strong, even tone. "Both."

"Like what? When you were so sick that first week I thought you were going to die? Or how about freezing on branch beds and living off of berries you could hardly stomach? Or better yet, watching our home get destroyed and all our hard work be for nothing?"

His sarcasm wasn't lost on the crystal mage. "Like meeting you and Radarr. And spending hot summer days splashing in the water and enjoying the shade. And my first crystal experiments. And the day we officially moved into the fort." Piper's voice was a mixture of irritation and confusion. "What's wrong with you, Aerrow? This isn't like you at all."

"Is it?" Aerrow wasn't so sure anymore. He felt the fire inside him rise again. Turning, he threw his fist into the nearest rock wall. He faintly heard Piper shout his name in shock, but Aerrow was more focussed on holding onto the flames that were slipping through his fingers. Still, the fire died to glowing embers and he was left with only weighted emotions. Sapped of energy, Aerrow sunk to the floor.

"Aerrow?" He turned sluggishly towards Piper, leaning his back against the stone. He didn't lift his eyes to meet hers.

"I... I'm sorry, Piper. I just get so _angry_."

Taking a seat next to the sky night, Piper laid a gentle palm over the hand Aerrow hadn't realized was still fisted at his side.

"It's normal to be angry, Aerrow. It's no different from any other emotion. Sometimes, it's good to shout and scream and cry and laugh. You can't keep everything bottled up inside. It'll just eat away at you."

"But I'm a sky knight, Piper. I'm supposed to keep a level head and lead my squadron."

Piper gave his fist a comforting squeeze. "You can't be confident and optimistic all the time, Aerrow. No one expects that. Anyway, isn't it better to get all your anger out now than in the middle of a battle?"

The sky knight's head was filled with the memory of his friends wrapping death grips around his younger self as he struggled to drag himself towards the Cyclonian ship destroying their home. His friends' fear, the pointlessness of the act, the feelings of loss—it had all been too much and he'd been unable to stop the releasing of his rage. What would have happened that day if they hadn't stopped him?

"But what if I can't control my anger during a battle. What then?"

"That's what _we're_ here for, of course! The Storm Hawks are a team for a reason, Aerrow. We won't let you do anything _too_ stupid."

Aerrow chuckled. Piper always seemed to know just what he needed to hear. Opening his hand, he intertwined their fingers. Piper lay her head on his shoulder, pressing their clasped hands between them.

"They aren't all bad memories, are they?" She sounded much less confident than before.

Aerrow smiled at his friend. "Of course not. The good always outweighs the bad."

The pair sat in comfortable silence. Aerrow found his mind wandering to pleasant childhood happenings.

"Taking a trip down memory lane?" Two heads turned to Finn's approaching figure, a nostalgic tint in his goofy grin. His expression turned more serious as he addressed Piper. "Mr. Broody-Pants doing better?"

Piper smirked and nodded, while Aerrow crossed his arms. "Hey! I heard that!"

"Good." Finn's face had split into another grin. "Radarr got a message from Stork. Something about a new ship in a bog or something like that. Don't really know. Maybe it's some weird merb code? Anyway, Junko and I figured you two might be able to make it out better... or at least understand sky monkey sign-language. What does hopping on one foot and flapping arms mean again?"

**And his love will conquer all  
**

Radarr clung to Aerrow's glider as the sky knight swept through thick clouds. The sky monkey gazed warily at the three large birds that lead them. They always seemed to show up just before something big happened, and although they gave assistance, Radarr had never seen a guardian appearance as a good sign.

A small terra appeared, almost out of nowhere. Aerrow retracted his wing blades as he landed agilely on a rocky ledge. Too focussed on glaring after the colourful birds that had disappeared into a cave, Radarr was ill-prepared. Losing his grip, the sky monkey fell back onto his rear.

"Whoops! Sorry, buddy."

Radarr grumbled and rubbed his bottom—he could see the laughter in Aerrow's eyes. However, he didn't have much time to pout, as Aerrow strode into the cave. Radarr rushed to catch up. Something told him to stay close to his friend.

"Thanks for the save," Aerrow said as he came to stand before the three hooded men.

"Don't thank us yet," the guardian with the black-trimmed cloak chided, his voice scratchy and irritated.

The guardian to his right—whose hood was decorated in silver—continued in a soft, calm voice, as if his comrade had never spoken. "Our time is drawing to a close, Aerrow. Indeed, there are just four of us left."

"Four?" Aerrow's voice was light with intrigue, but Radarr stiffened with suspicion. So there was another? Where was he then?

"Remember me, kid?" Aerrow had the better reaction time, but Radarr turned towards the dark corner only a moment after. His memory soon caught up and it didn't take the sky monkey long to place the unique voice. Radarr wasn't surprised to see familiar long features and colourful hair emerge from the shadows.

Aerrow's face brightened in recognition. "Arygyn!"

"You see, we guardians have been keeping an eye on you, in one form or another," explained the silver guardian with a smile. The expression seemed apologetic to Radarr. Maybe he had rushed to conclusions. Even if they were guardians, these men could only do so much. Their comrades _had_ saved himself and Aerrow all those years ago, after all. The bird-men may show up before disaster, but perhaps their presence had lessened the tragedy in their lives?

"Speaking of, I think you dropped these." Arygyn drew Aerrow's twin blades from his belt and held them up with a smirk. The sky knight smiled in thanks and took a weapon in each hand.

"The moment of your destiny is coming, Aerrow. A conflict that will involve _all the Atmos_." Radarr noticed the silver guardian talked with elaborated hand gestures and hushed tones. He was starting to get annoyed with the dramatics.

"Yeah, well, I've survived some pretty tough scrapes." Aerrow brushed off the comment, spinning his blades before returning them to the holster on his back.

The black guardian shook his head, seemingly irritated by any kind of positive thinking. "We've scribed the future Aerrow, and when we try to see the outcome of the battle to come, all we find is an Atmos without _you_."

The guardians' features hardened as their true motives for this meeting were revealed. The sudden seriousness told Radarr that this wasn't a game. They appeared genuinely concerned. This only increased the sky monkey's uneasiness. He'd _known_ there would be something to this. They were worried that their precious prophecy wasn't going as planned.

But Radarr was more troubled by how his friend would react to this news. He gripped Aerrow's arm and whined, wanting the sky knight to turn and meet his eyes. However, the redhead looked more confused than anything else.

"I don't understand. Why tell me now? What's that going to accomplish?"

The silver guardian smiled sadly. "We wanted to warn you. Be careful, Aerrow. We will no longer be here to help you."

"Let me get this straight," Aerrow said, his voice rising in anger and frustration. "You just told me that the battle for Atmos is coming, and now you're just going to leave?"

"We have no choice," the silver guardian answered, his eyes sad. "Our time on Atmos has come to an end."

With a flash of light, he and his two companions morphed into birds and flew off without another word. Aerrow and Radarr could do nothing but watch in disbelief. Radarr wasn't sure why he was surprised. In all the times the guardians had flown in and out of their lives, not once had they stayed when a fight was looming.

"But I need your help," Aerrow pleaded.

Arygyn placed a comforting hand on the sky knight's shoulder. "Don't sweat it too much, kid. We like to think we're all that," he waved his hands comically before changing, himself, to flap before them, "but I've got a feeling you'll do just fine without us."

Aerrow and Radarr ran after their last bit of hope, but the guardians were not looking back. As the four birds flew off and Snipe's battleship rose from the clouds, Radarr knew what he had to do. He would forget what the guardians had said. He knew Aerrow would do whatever he thought was right, warning or not. They would fight their own fight, as they always had. He would watch Aerrow's back, as he always did. They hadn't needed the guardians for a long time and they didn't need them now.

* * *

**- POV - Episode # - Episode Title**

**- Finn - Episode 32 - "What Got Into Finn?"**

**- Aerrow - Episode 49 - "Payback" (fits in with Finn's section in chapter 15)**

******- Radarr - Episode 49 - "Payback"**

******A few notes (lets see if I can keep this quick):**

**(1) I've wanted to explore the issue in Aerrow's section since I wrote his section of chapter 9, but I was only able to touch on it while focussing on other issues, so as the story is drawing to its close, I finally get to return to what I've dubbed "Aerrow's anger". In the series he is generally a happy, thrill-seeking guy, but there are times when Aerrow shows true anger and I wanted to go into this further and how this might affect him.**

**(2) About Aerrow's comment about it being two years since they left terra Neverlandis: I see each session spanning around a year (just for my own sense of time and for my understanding of ages as I write them and make plans for a future sequel to this fic about after the Storm Hawks reach the far side). So, since Aerrow was fourteen at the start of session 1, I'm assuming that he's close to sixteen by the time episode 52 ends.**

**(3) Finn's nostalgic grin is a reference to his section in chapter 10. Can you spot it?**

**(4) The reason why Finn makes an appearance at the end of Aerrow's section: I think Finn showed in chapter 15 that he both understood and was concerned for Aerrow, but knew Piper was the best person for him to talk to. Finn doesn't cross me as being comfortable with talking about his or others' emotions, but he does what he knows best when he comes to check on his friends and makes them smile.**

**(5) When I watched the ending credits to see what the guardians' names where, guess what they were called: Black and Silver. It took me a while to figure out why they were called this, but then I realized the colours referred to the colour of their hood trimming. So, that's how I referred to them. Blame the creators for not giving these guys better names...**

**(6) I just love Radarr. He's so clever :)**

**I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter! Feel free to review while you're waiting for the next one (it'll be a doozy - longer than this one already and I still have one more section to write!)**


	18. Chapter 18: Tomorrow's Bleeding

**Hello everyone! And yes, that's a story cover you see up there. Since I either needed to own the image or have permission to use it, I figured I'd try my hand at drawing my own picture. For only have coloured pencils and having to scan it onto my computer, it turned out okay. Still, I'm pretty sure someone less than half my age could to a better job (I am no artist, in the visual sense of the word). So, if you have any art you'd like to give me permission to display as my cover image, please PM me (seems like a win-win, as I would give you full credit of course!). _Edit: I decided to take down the image I was using. I don't think it's up to snuff..._**

**Thank you to my amazing reviewers: WhispertheWolf, AkaiMurasaki, Denvana, Sonya and Sithlord12345. I was away for the weekend after posting and when I came home to find all your reviews, it really made my day :)**

**I had to work hard to get this edited over the last few days, as I've been packing to head off to school. I leave on the 29th and lets just say I'm driving and it'll take a few days :S So, I don't expect to have the epilogue up until at least September 4th. I took all your suggestions and comments into consideration when deciding the POV and you were all very helpful :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Storm Hawks nor the song "Shattered" by Trading Yesterday. **

* * *

Chapter 18: Tomorrow's Bleeding

**Yes his love will conquer all **

Finn and Radarr were still giggling when they jumped on the skimmer to head back to the Condor. They'd each wrapped a few Talon belts around their heads ninja-style and were humming their own super-hero theme song between fits of laughter.

"Gets me every time." Finn wiped a stray tear from the corner of his eye.

Radarr chirped in agreement. The sky monkey was sitting on the handlebars, turned backwards so he could face the sharpshooter. With an impish smirk, Radarr waved his arms like a pair of supersonic windmills.

Finn returned the grin. He knew what the gesture meant.

"You'd better hold on!" That was all the warning Radarr got before Finn flipped the skimmer in multiple loops and pinwheels. The friends screamed in delight as they made their own roller coaster. Levelling out, they had twin dizzy smiles plastered to their faces.

"Just like old times, hey Radarr?" Finn remembered when he and the sky monkey would take out the old skimmer on Terra Neverlandis. "We'd leave those two killjoys behind and have some _real_ fun!"

Now, don't get him wrong, Aerrow was fun—most of the time, when he wasn't being all serious and leaderly. Radarr just made the best partner in crime. The sky monkey was always ready for some mischief. If Radarr wasn't so devoted to the sky kngiht, Finn would have tried to claim him as his sidekick years ago.

Finn did his best to avoid the deep, heavy, serious stuff—he'd had enough of that to due him a lifetime. So, when Piper and Aerrow had gotten too worried and uptight, he'd drag Radarr off for an adventure on one of the surrounding terras. Truth be told, it had been a really childish thing to do. If he'd had any guts, he would have helped them figure out how they were going to feed themselves for the winter or build a better protective wall. But Finn wasn't one for making big decisions—though he could discuss little decisions like cup-holder sizes all day. He'd preferred to go have fun, let the others think up solutions and come back later to help make them reality.

Not that he'd grown up all that much since then. Wasn't he doing the same thing now? Here he was, off playing pranks on Talons to give Atmosians "hope" while Aerrow and Piper were back on the Conder wracking their brains while the crystal mage withered away. Were they really bringing hope to people with their silly jokes? Or was this Aerrow and Piper's way of keeping their squadron and Cyclonia preoccupied while they came up with a game plan?

Finn was torn. Part of him wanted to continue playing these childish games and fake diversions. However, there was also something inside him that screamed at him to act, and act _now_. He wanted to stop the pain and the hurt and the suffering. He wanted to _fight_. He wanted Cyclonia to pay for this brutal repetition of bloodied history. He wanted to take his crossbow and _shoot_ until he _couldn't shoot anymore_.

But would that really be any more satisfying? It certainly wouldn't be any more productive than these pranks. He'd have to resign himself to waiting. That's all he really could do, since he couldn't be any real help to Aerrow and Piper—he'd skipped out on the opportunity too many times now to be of use to expert leaders and strategists.

Finn looked up when he heard a questioning chirp. Radarr had risen, balancing on the handlebars so to place a comforting paw on either of the sharpshooter's shoulders.

"I'm fine," Finn reassured with a smile. "Everything just seemed so much simpler back then, didn't it?"

**Yesterday I died**

Aerrow had to admit there was something satisfying in the crash the Dark Ace made as he flew into one of Cyclonia's metal spikes. The sky knight grinned as he came to float over his frustrated and beaten nemesis.

"Had enough?" The blue energy surrounding Aerrow only boosted his confidence.

He could still remember their first meeting as if it were yesterday—see every contour of the Dark Ace's gloating smirk through the crackling red energy of his blade. It had been his first real challenge and his first real defeat. Knowing little more than the man's name and his impressive reputation, they became instant enemies and rivals.

For a time, the Dark Ace was simply an adversary. Any hatred Aerrow had for the man was from the simple fact that he was a talon—he had to admit he even had some respect of the Dark Ace's skills. But that all changed after Aerrow found the box of family memories in his room. Once Piper discovered his direct relation to the original Storm Hawks, she'd spent hours researching his father and his squadron. Her good intentions mostly dredged up more tragedies from the past.

When Piper revealed that the Dark Ace had once been a Storm Hawk—his father's own co-pilot—and betrayed his squadron to its destruction, Aerrow's first reaction had been disbelief. How could someone turn on their comrades like that? But then the reality sank in. His father had been cut down by a squadron mate—a friend. Even now the thought made his blood boil. As time passed and memories continued to return, Aerrow could recall the face of a young, black-haired man who followed his father like a shadow. Did the Dark Ace even recognize him? Aerrow had never seen any signs. But, he was supposed to be dead along with the rest of his family. The thought of his survival had probably never entered the Dark Ace's mind.

Seeing the traitor moaning below, Aerrow felt a level of vindication. Still, there was a part of him that burned for revenge. It would be so easy to finish the Dark Ace off.

Grabbing hold of these dangerous thoughts, Aerrow pushed them away. He refused to lower himself to the cheep tricks and dirty ways of the Cyclonians.

"Do something you arrogant witch!" the Dark Ace growled.

Master Cyclonis's eyes were trained on the large red crystal that supported her terra. "There is nothing I can't bind to my will!" she cried, extending a hand to draw out the crystal's power.

A beam of red light shot towards her, its intense power making her cloak and hair stand on end. Without a second for thought, she transferred the energy to her most loyal servant.

The Dark Ace was engulfed in red, his scream of pain soon turning into a battle cry. He jumped into action, throwing himself towards the sky knight floating above him. But he was still no match for Aerrow and Piper's power. The redhead swatted away his oncoming enemy like an annoying fly.

"More! _More! MORE!_" the Dark Ace demanded.

For once, Master Cyclonis followed another's order. Pulling more energy from the giant crystal below, she shot a continual beam of power into her subordinate, who in turn called for even more power.

Aerrow and Piper watched in horror as the Dark Ace bellowed his agony as his body began to crystalize. Aerrow remembered their battle with Dark Ace and his Suit of Untold Vengeance. The Dark Ace had driven himself mad with his lust for power. Now, he seemed to be making the same mistake all over again.

"Cyclonis! Stop!" Piper cried.

But she took no heed, pumping even more power into the Dark Ace's veins. A ball of electric fire circled the suffering man. As his body solidified, a light that shone from within pushed its way out through his eyes, then his mouth, and soon seemed to be emerging from every pore on his body, until the Dark Ace was fully engulfed. So much power could no longer be contained in a fragile human form. In an explosion that rumbled across the entire battlefield, the Dark Ace disappeared into a sprinkling of sparkling particles.

It took Aerrow a moment to understand the tragedy that had just occurred before his eyes. "I can't believe it. He's gone."

Aerrow didn't know what to think. Being happy over someone's death seemed wrong—not matter who had deceased. This was war and deaths were always a reality, but to go in such a horrific manner by the hand of your own comrade was unthinkable. But Aerrow's vengeful side whispered in his ear. Didn't the Dark Ace do the same thing to his father? This was just karma—it's what he deserved. The only regret he should have was that he couldn't finish the Dark Ace off himself.

Aerrow shut the voice out. That wasn't true. He didn't want revenge. Sure he got mad when he saw innocents suffering at the hands of others, and that anger drove him to stop injustice, but not through causing suffering himself. All that did was start a cycle with no end.

The Dark Ace had craved power so much that he'd let it consume him. He considered nothing else and in turn had no compassion for other beings. Truly, Aerrow felt sorry for the Dark Ace. Aerrow had friends who loved and supported him. The Dark Ace had nothing but himself and his desires for power. He'd chosen a very lonely life the day he decided to live only for himself.

And so, as the remnants of the once great Dark Ace disappeared into the clouds below, Aerrow promised himself that he would never let anything consume him to such a ruthless extent.

**Tomorrow's bleeding**

Piper took greedy gulps of air that only irritated her throat further. Struggling through another bout of coughs that rumbled painfully in her chest, she threw back the covers and grabbed the glass of water left on her side table. The liquid soothed her throat, but the crystal mage nearly choked in her haste to swallow. When this newest episode was over, Piper collapsed onto her mattress. She felt like a weight in water, yet sleep eluded her. This only served to frustrate her further.

There was a light knock on the door. Sitting up, Piper stretched out one hand to steady herself while the other moved to her throbbing head. Still, she couldn't help the small smile that stretched across her face.

"You can come in, Aerrow. The door's unlocked," she called.

The sky knight pushed the door open slightly. He peeked his head in, his red framed face looking oddly angelic in the stream of light that came in from the corridor. His eyes held a well-worn question to which she had an overused answer.

"Who else would knock?"

Aerrow grinned back from a moment, but his face soon fell. Piper wasn't surprised. She probably looked as bad as she felt—not that she would let Aerrow know.

"I'm fine, Aerrow," she assured before any words could pass his lips. "Are you coming in, or are you going to stand there all night with just your head in my doorway?"

The sky knight seemed hesitant. He stopped after one step into her room, looking almost lost. His eyes shimmered with something close to weariness, or maybe akin to fear. Piper took the offensive.

"If you're here about my stupid cough, you can just turn around. We've been through this before, Aerrow. There's nothing—"

"No. It's not about that." His voice held none of the fight from their last few confrontations. He sounded tired, but even with this weight his steps were cautious as he moved to where she sat with her legs hung over the edge of her bed.

"You're not going to break me, Aerrow," Piper joked, wanting to rid them of this heavy atmosphere.

Aerrow didn't look very convinced, but kept his disagreements to himself. "I just don't want a fight tonight, Piper."

Then Piper understood. Aerrow had something on his mind and wanted to talk. She quietly watched the boy who sat beside her as he stared at the floor. Piper knew Aerrow well enough to know he needed time to sort out his thoughts before he spoke. So, she calmly waited a few minutes before she reached out to place hand gently on his shoulder.

"What's wrong, Aerrow?"

"I'm worried."

"We're all worried, Aerrow." Piper did her best to keep her voice soft and steady.

"No. That's not what I meant." He hesitated a moment, choosing his words carefully. "Everything just seems so . . . hopeless. And each day it's only getting worse. What if Cyclonis really is too strong now? What if we can't win?"

Piper was shocked. She'd never seen Aerrow so defeated. Hadn't he been his usual confident and optimistic self just hours before? This couldn't have developed in such a small amount of time. It must have been building up for days, maybe even weeks. Had she been so wrapped up in her own problems that she'd failed to see any warning signs from her best friend?

"We've been through rough times before," she echoed one of Aerrow's regular rebuttals. "And we always manage to pull through."

"Yeah, but . . . I don't think the fates are with me this time." The sky knight's cryptic reply sent red flags and warning alarms blaring in Piper's mind.

"Aerrow, look at me." He'd kept his eyes on the floor the entire time and she was having trouble reading him. The guarded expression he turned to her only confirmed her suspicions.

"You're hiding something." Piper left no room for argument.

Piper could almost see Aerrow's mind racing behind his eyes. Whatever it was that he was keeping from her, he must not have been planning on sharing. Still, when he finally spoke, the look of resolve on his face gave Piper more comfort than she could explain. This was much more like the Aerrow she knew.

"Radarr and I haven't exactly told you guys everything that happened that day the Condor was destroyed."

"You mean when we all split up?"

"Yeah." Aerrow looked away guiltily. "Snipe wasn't the only one we ran into."

"Who else?" Piper was getting impatient with his stalling.

"The guardians."

Aerrow's answer left Piper speechless. Of all the possibilities that had run through her head just moments before, she could safely say _that_ wasn't one of them. Aerrow turned back to her when she didn't immediately respond. There was a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. He'd probably expected her to bombard him with questions.

"The . . . the guardians?" Piper tried to regain control of her thoughts. "The three who gave you the key to the Condor?"

"And Arygyn too."

"Really?" she asked excitedly. This was great! She'd done a lot of research since their first encounter on terra Neverlandis. While most mentions of them were in myths and legends, the guardians were said to be the magical keepers of the Atmos. The guardians could help! This could be the solution to all their problems . . . So why was Aerrow so worried?

"Did they tell you anything?"

"Not much. Just gave me a warning." Aerrow's features hardened in frustration. "They talked about my destiny and a battle for the Atmos . . . and how they'd looked into the future, and only found an Atmos without me."

"W-what?" For the first time since terra Cyclonia had hovered over them on giant crystals, Piper felt true fear. An Atmos without Aerrow? But that could only mean—she pushed the thought away. There had to be another explanation. After everything that had happened, she couldn't lose him too. Aerrow reached out and placed a hand over her shaking ones. Her eyes pleaded with him to tell her she'd misunderstood. But he could only give her a sad smile.

"But, they'll help won't they—the guardians? They can't just tell you that and then do nothing."

"Actually, it seems they can," Aerrow said bitterly. "After warning me, they said their time was over and just left."

"They can't do that!" Piper stood in her anger and began to pace. "They're _the _guardians, the protectors of the Atmos! They just can't leave you high and dry like that!"

"But they did." Aerrow sighed. As Piper's own rage increased, his seemed to fall into acceptance and despair.

"I don't believe them! I won't let this happen. We have the binding, Aerrow. I can protect you."

"I thought we agreed it was too dangerous."

"I'll take the risks." In her head rang the voice of her 'best friend forever.' _Of all the weapons in a crystal mage's arsenal none is more dangerous and none more dark. You didn't think all this power comes without a price? But don't let that stop you. Keep practising. It'll make you strong, help you win, and in no time as all you'll be just like me._ Thoughts spilled from her mouth faster than she could process them. "I'll prove her wrong."

"Prove who wrong?"

"Master Cyclonis."

"When were you talking to _her_?"

"That day on the deck, when she told me the power is called the binding. She spoke to me . . in . . . my . . . . head." Piper's speech slowed as her mind finally caught up.

"What?!" Aerrow was on his feet now too.

"It's not a big deal, Aerrow," Piper attempted to reassure him. But it was too late for damage control.

"Not a big deal? Piper, Cyclonis was _in your head!_ Why didn't you tell me?"

"When you react like this, it's not hard to tell!" Piper shouted back. "And who are you to talk. You didn't tell me about the guard—"

She didn't finish, doubling over in pain as another coughing fit overtook her. Aerrow was at her side in a heartbeat, anger replaced with worry. She allowed him to lead her to back to her bed. She leaned against him as they sat, all her earlier energy gone. Aerrow rubbed soothing circles into her back as the coughs dissipated.

"I won't let you use the binding. Not for me. Not when it causes you so much pain," Aerrow whispered.

"But, I haven't used the binding in weeks and I'm still getting worse." Piper did her best to argue with her now weak, scratchy voice. "Why not use it, if it makes no difference now?" Aerrow's hand stopped its movements across her back, bunching her shirt as it clenched into a first. She knew he understood what she'd left unsaid. _At least then one of us would make it out of this._

"But it _does_ make a difference, Piper." Aerrow's hands moved to grip her shoulders. "What if using the binding just invites Master Cyclonis back into your mind? Maybe that's how she got in last time."

"We can't say that for sure." Piper met his gaze evenly, exasperated that she couldn't get him to see her logic. "And even if she _did_ use the binding, if I get strong enough I should be able to keep her out."

"But what if you can't?" The sky knight's tone had a pleading, almost desperate edge.

"It's not life or death, Aerrow." Piper just couldn't understand why he was making such a big deal about this. There were much more pressing things to worry about. "Cyclonis didn't do much more than taunt me."

"Maybe she didn't do much inside, but on the outside, Piper, you _passed out_ and were screaming in pain!" Aerrow's head dropped and his hold tightened. "And I couldn't _do_ anything. That was bad enough . . . but what if that happened during a battle and you fell of your heliscooter and . . . and . . ."

Without warning, Piper pulled him into an embrace, placing her chin on his shoulder. She'd heard the hitch in his voice and felt the shake of his arms. He was truly afraid for her. She was overwhelmingly touched.

"I thought we didn't play the 'what if' game," she spoke softly after they'd both had time to compose themselves.

Aerrow's strong arms finally moved to wrap around Piper and accept her comforting gesture. "Rules were made to be broken." For once the light mischief in his voice served to lessen her unease.

For a few more silent moments, the pair stayed in each others embrace, simply happy that the other was still there and—relatively—whole. But all too soon, Piper felt Aerrow's warmth leave as he reached behind his back to find her hands and lead them to sit in her lap as he stood.

"I have to go." He smiled apologetically as he turned to the door. "I'm supposed to be on watch, and _you're_ supposed to be sleeping."

Piper watched motionlessly as he crossed the room. He stopped, one hand on the doorframe, but didn't look back.

"What did Cyclonis say to you?"

Piper didn't want to answer. She knew it would only hurt him further. But he deserved to know. He'd believed she was strong enough to share the burden of his worries and she had to do the same for him.

"She said the binding was an evil power and that I would end up like her." Aerrow visibly stiffened. Piper strengthened her voice and continued. "But I'm not going to let that happen. I won't become Cyclonis, just like you won't be defeated by this war. The only ones who can decide our fates are ourselves, Aerrow. We'll survive this—all of us—and we'll save the Atmos while we're at it."

The tension in Aerrow's body eased and he nodded slowly. He gave Piper once last glance before turning down the hall. He did nothing to hide the turmoil of emotions that glistened in his eyes, but at least he was being open with her, and his small smile seemed to hold a promise of brighter days.

Still, as Piper lay restlessly in her bed that night, she found herself yearning for those days on terra Neverlandis, when all she had to fear were her own memories.

* * *

**- POV - Episode # - Episode Title**

**-Finn - Episode 52 - "Cyclonia Rising Part 2"**

**- Aerrow - Episode 52 - "Cyclonia Rising Part 2"**

**- Piper - Between Episode 51 & 52 - "Cyclonia Rising Parts 1 & 2" (this is the conversation that happens after Aerrow's section in chapter 12)**

**Hey! I just realized that all these sections are from the same episode. Gosh a lot happened in that last half hour, huh? Now on to the final massive author's note (I've numbered them by the section they refer to):**

**(1) This didn't come out at all what I expected. I wanted some Finn-brooding that would give more of a lead-in to his reactions in my final chapter of "Hide and Seek," but it turned out much more insightful, and actually much more "Finn" than I thought. In "Hide and Seek," Finn gets mad at Aerrow when he thinks the sky knight is going to stand by and let innocent people suffer on their behalf, but with this added, it is likely that Finn is also mad at himself for not being as proactive. He has become more mature and sees how his past attempts to stay away from his pain has, in turn, caused him to be less of a force to stop this same pain from happening to other people. At least, that's what I think this section seems to show (this actually didn't occur to me until I was almost finished writing it). **

**(2) I really didn't want to include the Dark Ace in this story because I wanted to focus on the Storm Hawks and this issue could have a lot of depth, but felt I had to at least touch on the subject. Obviously I only scraped the surface of something much deeper here. Perhaps I may explore it more in the future.**

**(3) I feel like the guardians' warning to Aerrow was brought up and then just thrown away and forgotten. I'm sure it was mostly there to freak out the audience and we were supposed to realize on our own that Aerrow's not be in Atmos after the battle was because he was now in the Far Side, but it still irks me. It must have had some impact on Aerrow and Radarr! And did they ever tell the other Storm Hawks? I have written a scene before in which Aerrow tells Piper about this (in the first oneshot of my "May I" collection), but I see that as completely separate from my Hide and Seek/Shattered universe, since I've kept this as canon as I could and have done my best to not put in an obvious A/P romance (which has been difficult . . . and I may not have been completely successful). So, I wanted to deal with the "guardian issue" here as well, since it is one that really annoys me! Also, I ended up included something else that was brought up and somewhat dropped: Cyclonis entering Piper's _mind_. Was this not significant enough to tell the others? Really?**

**Anyway, thank you again to my reviewers. I hope you've enjoyed this nice long chapter :) Please let me know what you think and be on the lookout for the epilogue next week!**


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